motion to suppress: December 2011 Archives

December 7, 2011

Miranda Rights were not intelligently waived

The Belmont County Prosecutor appealed a judge's ruling suppressing the defendant's statement in a child sex case. The defense argued at the suppression hearing that the defendant did not understand his right to remain silent. The trial court appointed a psychologist to examine the defendant. The psychologist testified that "to a reasonable degree of psychological certainty that she did not believe [the Defendant] intelligently waived his rights." Specifically, the psychologist testified that the defendant thought that his right to remain silent meant that he could be silent unless he was asked a question. Since there were factors supporting the trial judge's decision to suppress the statement and the court of appeals must give great deference to the trial judge in an appeal from a suppression ruling, the Seventh District Court of Appeals affirmed the decision in State v. Lynn, 2011-Ohio-6404, as you can read here.


If you are accused of a crime or have been convicted already, contact me if you can afford to hire a private criminal defense lawyer. Otherwise, contact your county or state public defender to see if they can help.

Contact me 24/7 by sending an email to ohiocriminalappealslawyer@gmail.com


December 5, 2011

State failed to meet its burden at a motion to suppress hearing

"The state is the party with the burden to demonstrate in the case of warrantless police stops that the police officer had reasonable suspicion for the stop. Terry v. Ohio (1968), 392 U.S. 1, 21." A Columbiana County Defendant sufficiently put the State on notice that he was challenging the initial stop at the suppression hearing. So the state failed to meet its burden to show that the stop was valid because it failed to present any evidence to justify the stop. The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Appellate District ruled that any evidence found as a result of the stop should have been suppressed as you can read in State v. Burnette, 2011-Ohio-6400, here.


If you are accused of a crime or have been convicted already, contact me if you can afford to hire a private criminal defense lawyer. Otherwise, contact your county or state public defender to see if they can help.

Contact me 24/7 by sending an email to ohiocriminalappealslawyer@gmail.com