Pretrial Issues

Question 1

What is the “unreliable ear” doctrine?

Answer 1

If you speak to someone who has AGREED to a wiretap or some other form of eletronic monitoring, YOU have NO 4th Am claim as you’ve assume the risk that the other party will NOT keep your conversations in private

Question 2

When do you need an arrest warrant?

Answer 2

You NEED an arrest warrant when…

1) Arresting someone in his HOME

2) Arresting someone in a 3d party’s HOME
NOTE: you’d ALSOneed a search warrant (UNLESS there are exigent circumstances)

You DO NOT need an arrest warrant…when arresting someone in a public place

Felonies: officers may make a warrantless arrest when they have PC to believe that the arrestee has committed a felony

Misdemeanor: officers may make a warrantless arrest for any misdemeanor COMMITTED in their presence

Question 3

What is the std of proof for an arrest?

Answer 3

Probable cause

Question 4

For what offenses does the 4th Am permit custodial arrests?

Answer 4

ALL offenses! EVEN those punishable by a monetary fine only

Question 5

When does an arrest occur?

Answer 5

Whenever the police take someone into custody against her will for PROSECUTION or INTERROGATION

NOTE: it’s considered a de facto arrest when the police compel someone to come to the police station for questioning or fingerprinting

Question 6

What is the std for excluding a confession under the Due Process Cl of the 14th Am?

Answer 6

“Involuntariness” = meaning that the confession is the product of POLICE COERSION that overbears the suspect’s will

Question 7

What isthe 6th Am’s Right to Counsel AND when does it attach?

Answer 7

Express const. g’tee that attaches ONLY WHEN ∆ is formally charged (NOT upon arrest!)

Applies at “all critical stages” of the prosecution that take place after formal charges (arraignment, probable cause hearings, police interrogation, etc)

The g’tee is “offense specific”: applies ONLY to the offense with which the ∆ has been FORMALLY charged (i.e. provides NO protection for uncounseled interrogation for other uncharged criminal activity)

Incriminating stmts obtained from the ∆ by law enforcement abt charged offenses violate the 6th Am IF those stmts are deliberately elicited AND ∆ did not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waive his right to have his atty present

**NOTE: a stmt obtained in violation of a ∆’s 6th Am Right to Counsel MAY be used to (only) IMPEACH the ∆’s contrary trial testimony

NOTE: Right to counsel is available in MISDEMEANOR cases ONLY IF imprisonment is ACTUALLY imposed. Thus, for misdemeanor crimes w/o IMPRISONMENT, a criminal ∆ CAN BE DENIED COUNSEL

Question 8

What is the std for excluding a confession under NY STATE’s 6th Am’s Right to Counsel?

Answer 8

The NY “Indelible Right to Counsel” provides GREATER protection than the 6th Am (from the fed const).

Attaches NOT ONLY at formal charging, BUT ALSO whenever there is significant judicial activity before fililng of an accusatory instrument where ∆ may benefit from counsel

If ∆ is taken into custody for questioning on a charge AND the police are aware that he is rep’d by counsel on THAT charge, they may not question him re: THAT charge OR any other matter w/o his atty present

If a ∆ is rep’d by counsel, waiver of the indelible right to counsel MUST take place in the presence of the atty

Question 9

What are 3 federal constitutional challenges AND 1 NY state challenge that can be brought to exclude a confession?

Answer 9

Federal

1) 14th Am: Due Process
2) 6th Am: Right to counsel
3) 5th Am: Miranda doctrine

NY:
1) 6th Am NY state const: ∆ can challenge under NY’s “indeliable” right to counsel

Question 10

What is a grand jury? NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 10

A SECRET body that issues INDICTMENTS

States do NOT have to use grand juries as part of the charging process

There is NO RIGHT to have (improper) evidence excluded at the grand jury stage (it would be PREMATURE)

NY DISTINCTION: indictments MUST establish ALL ELEMENTS of the offense AND provide reasonable cause to believe that the accused COMMITTED the offense

Question 11

What is the Miranda doctrine?

Answer 11

Miranda rights are IMPLIED rights grounded in the Self-Incrimination Cl of the 5th Am

Question 12

What are the 4 core Miranda warnings?

Answer 12

1) the right to remain SILENT
2) anything you say can and will be USED AGAINST YOU in the ct of law
3) the right to an ATTORNEY
4) if you cannot afford one, an atty will be APPOINTED for you

Question 13

What is the procedure for a suspect to invoke his Miranda rights?

Answer 13

1) Right to remain silent: a suspect must UNAMBIGUOUSLY invoke her right to remain silent
Once a suspect invokes the right to remain silent, police must “scrupulously honor” the invocation (i.e. they can’t badger the suspect) Police detectives MUST wait a sig. pd of time before re-initiating questioning AND must first obtain a valid waiver

2) Right to counsel: a suspect must make a request that’s SUFFICIENTLY clear that a reasonable officer would understand the stmt as a request for counsel
Once a suspect “lawyer’s up”, ALL interrogation must cease UNLESS initiated by the suspect Unlike the 6th Am, the 5th Am right to counsel is NOT offense-specific; THUS, interrogation must stop for ALL TOPICS (outside presence of atty) once right to counsel is invoked Request for counsel expires 14 days after suspect is RELEASED from custody and a waiver of the Miranda right to counsel after this pd is VALID

Question 14

What 2 reqs are necessary for a valid waiver of Miranda rights? NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 14

A valid Miranda waiver MUST be…

1) “Knowing and Intelligent”: when the suspect understands the NATURE of the rights AND the CONSEQUENCES of abandoning them
2) “Voluntary”: when it’s NOT the product of police coercion

NY DISTINCTION: has a parent/child rule that if the police use deceception or concealment to keep a PARENT away from a CHILD who is being interrogated, the child’s waiver may be deemed INVALID

NOTE: The waiver need not be “express”; it MAY be IMPLIED by course of conduct that indicates a desire to speak w/ police interrogators

The prosecution has the BURDEN OF PROOF in proving a valid waiver of a suspect’s Miranda rights by a perponderance of the evidence

Question 15

When areMiranda warnings necessary?

Answer 15

Miranda warnings are necessary when there is a
“CUSTODIALINTERROGATION”(i.e. you need both facets)

1) Custody: reasonable person would not have felt she was at liberty to end the interrogation and leave AND the environment presents inherently coercive pressures (CAN take into account age)
2) Interrogation: any conduct the police KNEW or SHOULD HAVE KNOWN was likely to elicit an incriminating response

NOTE: Miranda does NOT apply to incriminating stmts made SPONTANEOUSLY, since they are NOT the product of police interrogation

“Public safety” EXCEPTION: if custodial interrogation is prompted by an IMMEDIATE concern for public safety, THEN Miranda warnings are unnecessary and any incriminating stmts ARE admissible against the suspect

Question 16

What are the 3 consequences of violating the Miranda mandate?

Answer 16

1) Incriminating stmts obtained in violation of Miranda are INADMISSABLE in the prosecutor’s case-in-chief, BUT may be used to impeach the ∆’s testimony (BUT NOT the testimony of a 3d party witness)
2) Failure to give Miranda warning does not require the suppression of “physical fruits” of incriminating statements, provided the statements are voluntary (i.e. no due process violation)
3) If a stmt is inadmissable b/c of a Miranda violation, SUBSEQUENT stmts made AFTER obtaining a Miranda waiver ARE ADMISSABLE (PROVIDED the initial, non-Mirandized stmt was NOT obtained thru use of inherently coercive police tactice, offensive to DUE PROCESS)

4) Harmless Error Applies: if evidence that SHOULD have been excluded was improperly admitted, a GUILTY verdict will NOT be vacated IF the gov’t can prove (beyond a reasonable doubt) that the error was HARMLESS b/c the ∆ would have been convicted without the tainted evidence
NOTE: this is ALSO the rule that applies to physical evidence improperly admitted under the 4th Am

Question 17

What is the process for pre-trial detention?

Answer 17

1) The gov’t needs PC BOTH to bind the ∆ for trial AND to detain him in jail BEFORE trial
A hearing for probable cause (Gerstein hearing) is UNNECESSARY to justify pretrial detention IF (i) grand jury has issued an INDICTMENT; OR (ii) a magistrate has issued an ARREST warrant

2) “First Appearance”: occurs soon after arrest where a ∆ is brought before a magistrate who: advises him of his rights; sets bail; AND appoints counsel, if necessary
3) Bail decns are IMMEDIATELY appealable

Question 18

What is the remedy for const. violations in pre-trial IDs?

Answer 18

Remedy = exclusion of the witness’s in-court ID

HOWEVER, a ct WILL allow witness’s in-court ID (in light of a const violation) IF the prosecution can prove that it is based on observations of the suspect OTHER than the unconst. line-up, show-up or photo array, for example: (i) the witness’s opportunity to view the ∆ at the crime scene; (ii) the certainty of the witness’s ID; OR (iii) the specificity of the description given to the police

Question 19

What are 3 types of pre-trial IDs?

Answer 19

1) Line-ups: witness is asked to identify the perp form a group
2) Show-ups: one-on-one confrontation b/t witness and suspect
3) Photo arrays: witness is shown a series of photos and is aksed if she sees the perp among them

Question 20

What are 2 substantive challenges to pretrial IDs? NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 20

1) Denial of right to counsel
5th Am: there is NO 5th Am right to counsel under Miranda for pre-trial ID procedures! 6th Am: a right to counsel exists at LINE-UPs and SHOW-UPs that take place AFTER formal charging; HOWEVER, there is NO 6th Am right to counsel for PHOTO ARRAYs

2) Violation of due process
Pre-trial ID violates DP when it is so UNECESSARILY suggestive that it creates a subtl likelihood of irreparable misidentification Ct determine DP violation by weighing the reliability of the suggestive ID AGAINST its corrupting effect

NY DISTINCTION: NY provides greater suspect protection; THUS, you have a right to have an atty present at line-up conducted BEFORE the filing of formal charges IF police are aware that you have counsel AND you requested that counsel be present

Question 21

What are the 4 reqs for a valid wiretap warrant?

Answer 21

Mnemonic = “Screen Telephone Calls Carefully” 1) Suspected persons: the warrant must name the suspected persons whose conversations are to be overheard

2) Time: the wiretap must be for a STRICTLY ltd pd of time (NOTE: 30 days in NY)
3) Crime: there must be PC that a SPECIFIC crime has been committed
4) Coversations: the warrant must describe w/ PARTICULARITY the coversations that CAN be heard

Question 22

How does an officer respect Miranda and render incriminating statements admissible?

Answer 22

1) “Reasonably convey” to the subject his or her core miranda rights
2) Obtain a valid waiver of a suspect’s Miranda rights to silence and counsel