In re Ricardo S.
Opinion of the Court
Appellant, who was 15 years old at the time of the events in question, challenges the Family Court’s denial of his motion to suppress a prearrest oral statement he gave to three police officers who, without informing appellant of his Miranda rights, questioned him in his home about a burglary that occurred four days before, as well as a postarrest written statement he subsequently made in the police station.
To the extent the Family Court may have concluded that the police officers’ questioning of appellant in his home was not a custodial interrogation requiring Miranda warnings because appellant was not placed under arrest prior to the questioning, the conclusion was erroneous. Miranda's safeguards are trig
However, appellant’s initial oral statement was duplicated by his later written statement, which Family Court found was made in the police station after appropriate Miranda warnings had been given, attenuated from appellant’s earlier statement and not part of a continuous chain of events. There is no basis for this Court to overturn Family Court’s credibility findings that underlie those determinations (see, People v Chappie, 38 NY2d 112, 115) or to upset its ruling that the postarrest, written statement was admissible. Thus, the error in admitting the oral statement was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt (see, People v Sanders, 56 NY2d 51, 66). Concur — Williams, P.J., Tom, Rosenberger, Wallach and Marlow, JJ.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.