What are the relevant facts for determining whether a defendant was in custody prior to making any admissions?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Valladares, A134585 (Cal. App. 2015):

Because defendant did not argue to the trial court that he was in custody before making any admissions, this argument is forfeited on appeal. (People v. Haley (2004) 34 Cal.4th 283, 300.) Furthermore, we cannot conclude on the record before us that defendant's trial counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that defendant was in custody prior to making any admissions.

"An appellate court should not declare that a police officer acted unlawfully, suppress relevant evidence, set aside a jury verdict, and brand a defense attorney incompetent unless it can be truly confident all the relevant facts have been developed and the police and prosecution had a full opportunity to defend the admissibility of the evidence." (People v. Mendoza Tello (1997) 15 Cal.4th 264, 267.) The relevant facts for determining whether defendant was in custody relate to whether a reasonable person in defendant's position would believe there was "a restraint on [his] freedom of movement of the degree associated with a formal arrest." (People v. Moore (2011) 51 Cal.4th 386, 395.) The record on appeal is lacking information that is critical to this analysis because it contains hardly any facts about what happened between the time police contacted defendant at his house on the evening of March 13 and interviewed him on the morning of March 14. Officers Poveda and Gamble did not testify at the suppression hearing, and defendant's testimony during the hearing was primarily focused on the interview with police, not what happened before the interview.4 Defendant's testimony during the

Page 14

Other Questions


What authority does a defendant have to make an election to determine whether a defendant should be charged with making terrorist threats? (California, United States of America)
Does a juvenile court hearing determine whether a minor should be tried as an adult prior to a determination that the minor's guilt should be determined? (California, United States of America)
When a defendant has been convicted of a prior criminal offence, what are the factors that determine whether the prior conviction should be admitted to the jury? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for a jury to determine whether a defendant's mental state was not a factor in determining whether they had committed a sexual assault? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for determining whether a defendant has been convicted of a prior criminal offence and therefore must proceed further to determine the conduct underlying the conviction? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for determining whether a defendant's mental impairment is an impairment when determining whether he acted in imperfect or complete self-defense? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for determining whether a defendant's intent or mental state is a factor in determining whether they intended to commit an act of violence? (California, United States of America)
Can a jury make a preliminary determination of whether a defendant had the right to use force to defend himself against the victim? (California, United States of America)
Can a jury make a preliminary determination of whether a defendant had the right to use force to defend himself under Cal.CRIM 3471? (California, United States of America)
What is the relevant inquiry in determining whether a reasonable trier of fact could have found a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt? (California, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.