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 4A 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 3rd party’s HOME NOTE: you’d ALSOneed a search warrant (UNLESS there are exigent circumstances)

You DO NOT need an arrest warrant…

1) when arresting someone in a public place
2) Felonies: officers may make a warrantless arrest when they have PC to believe that the arrestee has committed a felony
3) Misdemeanor: officers may make a warrantless arrest for any misdemeanor COMMITTED in their presence

Question 3

What is the common enterprise theory of arrest?

Answer 3

In a TRAFFIC STOP, where a police officer discovers evidence of a crime that suggests a COMMON UNLAWFUL ENTERPRISE between the driver and his passenger(s), the officer may arrest ANY or ALL of them, based on the reasonable inference of shared dominion and control over the contraband

Question 4

What is the standard of proof for an arrest?

Answer 4

Probable cause

Question 5

For what offenses does the 4A permit custodial arrests?

Answer 5

ALL offenses! EVEN those punishable by a monetary fine only

Question 6

When does an arrest occur?

Answer 6

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 7

What is the standard for excluding a confession under the Due Process Clause of the 14A?

Answer 7

Involuntariness = meaning that the confession is the product of POLICE COERCION that overbears the suspect’s will

Question 8

What isthe 6A Right to Counsel AND when does it attach?

Answer 8

Express constitutional guarantee 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 guarantee is “offense specific”: applies ONLY to the offense with which the ∆ has been FORMALLY charged

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

** NOTE: a statement obtained in violation of a ∆’s 6A 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 without IMPRISONMENT, a criminal ∆ CAN BE DENIED COUNSEL

Question 9

What is the standard for excluding a confession under NY STATE’s 6A Right to Counsel?

Answer 9

The NY Indelible Right to Counsel provides GREATER protection than the 6A (from the federal constitution).

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 represented 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 represented by counsel, waiver of the indelible right to counsel MUST take place in the presence of the atty

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Federal

1) 14A: Due Process Clause
2) 6A: Right to counsel
3) 5A: Miranda doctrine

NY:
1) 6A NY state const: ∆ can challenge under NY’s “indelible” right to counsel

Question 11

What is a grand jury?

NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 11

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 12

What is the Miranda doctrine?

Answer 12

Miranda rights are IMPLIED rights grounded in the 5A Self-Incrimination Clause

Question 13

What are the core Miranda warnings?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

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

Answer 14

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 significant period 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 statement as a request for counsel

** Once a suspect “lawyer’s up”, ALL interrogation must cease UNLESS initiated by the suspect

** Unlike the 6A, the 5A right to counsel is NOT offense-specific; THUS, interrogation must stop for ALL TOPICS (oustide presence of atty) once right to counsel is invoked

** Request for counsel expires 14 days after suspect is RELEASED from custody. Waiver of the Miranda right to counsel after this period is VALID, provided it’s knowing, intelligent and voluntary

Question 15

What requirement are necessary for a valid waiver of Miranda rights?

NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 15

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 16

When areMiranda warnings necessary?

Answer 16

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

1) Custody: a suspect is in custody IF the atmosphere, viewed OBJECTIVELY, is characterized by police domination and coersion such that his/her freedom of action is limited in a significant way
* * NOTE: does NOT have to be in a police station necessarily

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 statements 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 statements ARE admissible against the suspect

IF, after the police “reasonably conveys” Miranda rights, the suspect validly waives right to slience and counsel, then the statements provided ARE ADMISSIBLE

Question 17

What are the consequences of violating the Miranda mandate?

Answer 17

1) Incriminating statements 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 3rd party witness)

** If a statement is inadmissible because of a Miranda violation, SUBSEQUENT statements made AFTER obtaining a Miranda waiver ARE ADMISSABLE (PROVIDED the initial, non-Mirandized statement was NOT obtained through use of inherently coercive police tactice, offensive to DUE PROCESS)

2) Failure to give a Miranda warning does NOT require supression of the “physical fruits” of incriminating statements, PROVIDED the statements were VOLUNTARY (i.e. no due process issues)
3) 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 because the ∆ would have been convicted without the tainted evidence

NOTE: this is ALSO the rule that applies to physical evidence improperly admitted under the 4A

Question 18

What is the process for pre-trial detention?

Answer 18

1) The gov’t needs probable cause 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 declines are IMMEDIATELY appealable

Question 19

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

Answer 19

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

HOWEVER, a court WILL allow witness’s in-court ID (in light of a constitutional 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									
- the witness's opportunity to view ∆ at crime scene
- the certainty of the witness's ID; OR
- the specificity of the description given to the police

Question 20

What are the types of pre-trial IDs?

Answer 20

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 21

What are the substantive challenges to pretrial IDs?

NOTE: NY Distinction

Answer 21

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

NY DISTINCTION: NY provides greater suspect protection; THUS, you have a right to have an attorney 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

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

Question 22

What are the requirements for a valid wiretap warrant?

Answer 22

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 limited period
3) Crime: probable that the SPECIFIC crime has been committed
4) Coversations: the warrant must describe with PARTICULARITY the coversations that CAN be heard