New York Criminal Lawyer Blog
The defendant appeal the judgment of the County Court, Nassau County, convicting him of murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, robbery in the first degree, and of grand larceny and assault, and after a jury recommendation, imposing sentence of life imprisonment on the conviction of murder in the first degree.
After the crimes were committed, the defendant fled to California, where he was arrested and searched. Immediately after the arrest, the California police searched and found two revolvers in the automobile which the defendant had rented.
The criminal defendant was interrogated in California, on the plane returning to New York after he had waived extradition, and also in Nassau County before his arraignment there. Some of the statements and confessions made before the defendant left California were made after a New York attorney, who had been retained by the defendant’s parents to represent him, communicated with the Nassau County police officials, inquired as to the defendant’s whereabouts and informed such officials that he intended to go to California and that he did not want any statements taken from the defendant.
Under the circumstances, it may not be held that the defendant’s motion to suppress as evidence the use of the two revolvers found in the automobile, was improperly denied.
This Court finds that, the proceeding in California was not an arraignment within the rules enunciated in People v. Meyer (11 N.Y.2d 162), and People v. Rodriguez (11 N.Y.2d 279), which prohibit post-arraignment interrogation.
It appears that the Nassau County police officials did not intend to permit nor did they permit the attorney to see the defendant until they had completed their interrogations. The police captain who flew to California to extradite the defendant was not advised that an attorney had been retained to represent the defendant; and he interrogated the defendant in California, on the plane to New York and in Nassau County. While the attorney was in police headquarters in Nassau County, in a futile attempt to speak with the defendant who had been returned to Nassau County, the defendant was interrogated by a psychiatrist and by the police captain. After the attorney abandoned his futile attempts to speak with the defendant, an assistant district attorney interrogated the defendant; and the attorney did not see the defendant prior to his arraignment in Nassau County.
In view of the nature of the crime, the developments in California and the fact that at that time People v. Donovan (13 N.Y.2d 148), had not yet been decided, the police officials were not willfully violating the defendant’s constitutional and statutory rights by interrogating him after an attorney had been retained to represent him.
But, in the light of the decisional law enunciated in People v. Donovan , the confessions and admissions obtained by the Nassau County police, after the attorney informed the police that he represented the criminal defendant and did not want any statements taken from him, were inadmissible. In our opinion, under said decisions, it was the duty of the police official, with whom the attorney spoke, to communicate with the police officer who was going to or had already left for California, and to advise him that an attorney had been retained to represent the defendant, and that therefore said officer was not to interrogate the defendant.
No separate appeal lies from any intermediate orders, which nevertheless have been reviewed on the appeal from the judgment of conviction. Judgment reversed on the law and a new trial ordered. The findings of fact implicit in the verdict are affirmed.
The rights of the accused under custodial investigation are something that cannot be taken lightly as the violation of it might result in the violation of the accused’s constitutional rights. Procedures must be followed strictly by the arresting officers in order not to infringe the rights of every accused. To avoid the same irregularities as discussed above, seek the assistance of the Nassau County Criminal Attorney at Stephen Bilkis & Associates.
In addition, to help you with robbery and other related cases, our Nassau County Grand Larceny Lawyers always be ready to give you all the assistance you need. Call us now.