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State v Sims- The failure of police to advise the defendant of the charges against him will result in a suppression of his statement ...

By Kenneth A. Vercammen, Esq posted 01-11-2021 10:15 PM

  
read State v Sims The failure of police to advise the defendant of the charges against him will result in a suppression of his statement despite Miranda 

  In this appeal, the court determined as a matter of first impression that the Supreme Court's holdings in State v. A.G.D., 178 N.J. 56 (2003), and in State v. Vincenty 237 N.J. 122 (2019), requiring that police inform a defendant subject to custodial interrogation of specific charges filed against him before he can waive his in Miranda rights, also applies to an interrogee who was arrested and questioned prior to any charges being filed, where the arrest was based upon information developed through an earlier police investigation.

The court also concluded that the trial court erred by admitting the victim's statement to police through a police officer's hearsay testimony at trial because defendant was deprived of a meaningful opportunity to challenge the victim's statement through cross examination at a pretrial hearing or before the jury, where at the pretrial hearing the victim could not recall ever giving the statement to police and he later refused to appear at trial to testify before the jury.

In a separate opinion concurring with the result but dissenting from the majority's extension of A.G.D. to custodial interrogations where neither a complaint warrant nor arrest warrant have been issued, a member of the panel expressed concern that the new rule announced in the majority opinion has the potential to introduce subjectivity, ambiguity, and uncertainty to the administration of Miranda warnings. A-2641-17T2 xxl

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Comments

05-28-2021 08:07 AM

Any thoughts on the how the NJSC will rule on this? Also wondering how this may apply to a scenario where no charges have been filed when interrogation occurs but there is clearly enough probable cause to file them against the defendant.  Victim gives 20 minute statement at 4pm.   The defendant is then brought to station by detectives and at 8pm his interrogation begins.  He is told "we are here to just hear what you have to say, you are not under arrest and there are no charges against you but in order for us to get your side of the story you have to sign this waiver".   Defendant makes confession 40 minutes into interrogation.  Obviously a different situation from Sims but I'd love to hear your thoughts.