State v. Climer
Annotate this CaseDefendant was charged with and convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and abuse of a corpse. On appeal, the court of criminal appeals modified Defendant's first degree murder conviction to second degree murder. The court also affirmed the trial court's denial of Defendant's motion to suppress. Defendant appealed, contending that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his statements to the police on the grounds that they were elicited in violation of his constitutional right to counsel and were involuntary. The Supreme Court vacated Defendant's convictions, holding (1) Defendant's statements were erroneously admitted into evidence because Defendant did not invoke his constitutional right to counsel and did not waive his Miranda rights; (2) the physical evidence discovered as a result of Defendant's statements was properly admitted into evidence because the totality of the circumstances showed that Defendant's statements were voluntary and not coerced; and (3) the State failed to establish that the erroneous admission of Defendant's statements was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Remanded.
Court Description: Authoring Judge: Justice Cornelia A. Clark
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