State v. Eli
Annotate this CaseDefendant Pulumata'ala Eli was convicted of attempted manslaughter. Defendant appealed, arguing that the trial court erred by failing to suppress a statement Defendant made to a detective in violation of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona. The Supreme Court vacated the circuit court's judgment of conviction and sentence, holding (1) the police practice of inviting an arrestee to make a statement and to give his or her "side of the story" or similar entreaties in a "pre-interview" before Miranda warnings are given violates the defendant's constitutional right against self-incrimination and right to due process; and (2) under the circumstances of this case, the Mirandized statement offered into evidence at trial resulted from the exploitation of the said pre-interview practice, and the Miranda warnings subsequently given did not remove the taint of such practice. Remanded for a new trial.
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