State v. White, Unpublished Decision (12-18-2002)
State v. White, Unpublished Decision (12-18-2002)
Opinion of the Court
This cause was heard upon the record in the trial court. Each error assigned has been reviewed and the following disposition is made: {¶ 1} Defendant-Appellant Anthony White has appealed from a judgment of conviction and sentence from the Summit County Court of Common Pleas for aggravated robbery and murder, with a firearm specification attached to each conviction. This Court affirms.
{¶ 3} Shortly thereafter, the Summit County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Appellant with aggravated murder, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} In February 2002, the grand jury returned a supplemental indictment charging Appellant with one count of murder, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 5} At the conclusion of the testimony, Appellant requested a jury instruction on involuntary manslaughter. Appellant argued that involuntary manslaughter was a lesser included offense of the charges of aggravated murder and murder. After a conference with counsel in chambers, the court denied the motion.
{¶ 6} The jury found Appellant not guilty of aggravated murder, but guilty of murder and aggravated robbery, and guilty of the firearm specifications attached to each charge. Appellant was sentenced to ten years imprisonment on the aggravated robbery conviction, and three years on the firearm specification related to that charge. The court did not impose sentence on Appellant for the second firearm specification, having merged both specifications for purposes of sentencing, and sentenced Appellant to fifteen years to life on the murder conviction. The court ordered Appellant to serve the sentences for the firearm specification consecutively with the sentence for aggravated robbery, and the sentence for murder concurrently with the sentence for aggravated robbery. Appellant has timely appealed, asserting two assignments of error.
{¶ 8} In his first assignment of error, Appellant has argued that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the statement he gave to detectives in which he admitted that the victim was shot while Appellant was trying to rob him. Specifically, Appellant has contended that the trial court erred in finding that the detectives adequately advised Appellant of his Miranda rights prior to his confession.
{¶ 9} In reviewing a trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress evidence, an appellate court engages in a two-step inquiry. State v.Evans (2001),
{¶ 10} The
{¶ 11} In its order denying Appellant's motion to suppress, the trial court made detailed findings of fact. In particular, the court found that "[p]rior to commencing questioning, Detective Morrison read [Appellant] his miranda [sic] rights. Each right was read and acknowledged by [Appellant] to be understood. At no time did he refuse to talk to the detectives or request counsel." The court concluded its order by reiterating that "[c]onsidering the totality of the circumstances in this case, the Court finds * * * that all questioning took place only after proper mirandization."
{¶ 12} Our review of the record demonstrates that competent, credible evidence supports the trial court's finding that the police provided Appellant with the warnings required by Miranda. At the suppression hearing, Detective Richard Morrison testified that he and Detective Michael Shaeffer interviewed Appellant on October 5, 2001. With regard to the detectives' instruction of Miranda rights, the following exchange took place at the hearing between the prosecutor and Detective Morrison:
{¶ 13} "Q. At any time in that interview room did you advise [Appellant] of his constitutional rights under Miranda?
{¶ 14} "A. We read — I personally read his rights with Detective Shaeffer witnessing it at the beginning.
{¶ 15} "Q. Okay. And how did you read those rights to him?
{¶ 16} "A. From a Miranda card that we have.
{¶ 17} "Q. And is that the card that you normally carry with you, that has his rights in total?
{¶ 18} "A. It has his rights in total and I usually keep it in my desk.
{¶ 19} "Q. Do you have that on you today?
{¶ 20} "A. No, I didn't bring it.
{¶ 21} "Q. What did you advise him?
{¶ 22} "A. Basically what was on the card. Exactly what was on the card, I read verbatim.
{¶ 23} "Q. You advised him he had a right to remain silent?
{¶ 24} "A. Anything that he says will be used against him in a court of law, he has a right to have an attorney, even if he has an attorney, he has a right to quit answering and basically what exactly Miranda says."
{¶ 25} When Appellant's counsel asked on cross-examination whether the detectives ever Mirandized Appellant, Detective Morrison repeated: "[Appellant] was Mirandized the moment we walked in." Later on cross-examination, Detective Morrison testified that "[e]verything was talked about after Miranda, Miranda was the first thing done."
{¶ 26} Detective Shaeffer also testified at the hearing, at which the following colloquy took place between the detective and Appellant's counsel:
{¶ 27} "Q. Who read the Miranda rights?
{¶ 28} "A. Detective Morrison.
{¶ 29} "Q. How did he go about doing that?
{¶ 30} "A. He pulled out a little card that has the Miranda rights and read them to him and [Appellant] agreed to talk to us.
{¶ 31} "Q. Were there questions asked of [Appellant] prior to that?
{¶ 32} "A. No."
{¶ 33} Detective Shaeffer later reiterated that "[w]hen we first went in we gave him Miranda[.]"
{¶ 34} Both Detective Morrison and Detective Shaeffer testified that they did not advise Appellant of his Miranda rights a second time before asking him to repeat his statement so the detectives could record it on an audio tape. However, both detectives testified that the beginning of the recorded statement includes the detectives asking Appellant whether they advised him of his Miranda rights. Both detectives also testified that Appellant agreed that they so advised him, and he was nonetheless willing to talk to the detectives.
{¶ 35} Appellant has argued that, in spite of the foregoing testimony, the evidence adduced at the hearing was insufficient to demonstrate that he was afforded the procedural safeguards required byMiranda. Appellant has argued that the detectives did not explicitly testify that Appellant was advised of his rights to remain silent, to have an attorney present during the interrogation, and to have an attorney appointed for him if he could not afford to retain counsel. Appellant has also pointed out that the Miranda card, which the detectives testified contained the rights read to Appellant by Detective Morrison, was never introduced at the hearing. According to Appellant, therefore, the court could not determine whether the "missing" card fully and accurately contained all of Appellant's rights under Miranda, as Detective Morrison testified.
{¶ 36} "The United States Supreme Court has often indicated that there is no rigid rule requiring that the content of the Miranda warnings given to an accused prior to police interrogations be a virtual incantation of the precise language contained in the Miranda opinion."State v. Dailey (1990),
{¶ 37} In the case sub judice, the detectives repeatedly testified that Appellant was fully Mirandized, and that his rights were read from a standard card containing the Miranda rights "in total." Under the totality of the circumstances, we conclude that the testimony by the detectives constitutes competent, credible evidence to support the trial court's finding that Appellant was properly administered his Miranda rights by Detective Morrison. Having been adequately apprised of his rights, Appellant knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived them, and willingly provided the recorded statement to the police. Appellant's first assignment of error is without merit.
{¶ 39} In his second assignment of error, Appellant has contended that the trial court erred in denying his request for a jury instruction on the offense of involuntary manslaughter. Appellant has contended that involuntary manslaughter is a lesser included offense of aggravated murder, and the trial court should therefore have instructed the jury on the lesser included offense.
{¶ 40} Assuming arguendo that involuntary manslaughter, as set forth at R.C.
CARR, P.J., BATCHELDER, J. CONCUR.
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