Page 37 - TPA Journal March April 2023
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information not found earlier in the recordings      failure to scrupulously honor his right to cut off
        was Appellant’s admission that he knew the gun       questioning during the first statement extended to
        was a .45. Even assuming that this part of his       the second statement. We addressed and rejected
        statement was inadmissible, any error was            that contention under the “Honoring the Right to
        harmless for reasons we have stated earlier.         Silence” subsection of this opinion. Moreover, the
                                                             sequence of events shows that Appellant was able
        Appellant contends that his waiver of his rights     to successfully terminate the first interview by
        was not voluntary because he was subject to          asserting his right to cut off questioning a second
        food and sleep deprivation, physical violence by     time.  At worst, that sequence would have
        Border Patrol agents who arrested him, lack of       conveyed that Appellant could have his right to
        care for his physical injury, and threats against    cut off questioning honored if he persistently
        him. These arguments are the same arguments he       asserted it. Consequently, we have no reason to
        made for finding the recorded statements to be       think that he did not understand that he did not
        coerced, and the same reasons for rejecting them     have to agree to the second interview.
        in connection with that claim apply here. He also
        claims that officers told him that they could not go  Appellant also claims that Ranger  Vela
        to the District Attorney without information from    undermined the waiver with respect to the second
        him, that he signed the Miranda waiver because       recorded interview by saying, contrary to the
        he thought he had to, and that threats had been      Miranda  and Article 38.22 warnings, “I am not
        made against his family.  These additional           saying this is going to affect you or not; it may or
        arguments depend on statements made by               may not affect you in court.” Saying that a
        Appellant—during the suppression hearing or in       confession can be used “for or against you” is an
        the recorded interviews—which the trial court was    improper warning that does not comply with
        free to disbelieve. Given the findings, it is clear  Article 38.22.  Appellant does not dispute that all
        that the trial court did not in fact believe these   of the warnings given at the beginning of each
        statements from Appellant.                           recorded interview complied with Article 38.22.
                                                             Rather, he claims that Ranger  Vela’s statement
        Appellant also contends that he did not understand   here was an additional statement in the middle of
        that, by signing the waiver, he was                  the first interview that was contrary to the Article
        waiving his right to remain silent and his right to  38.22 warning that a statement may be used
        a lawyer, and he claims that he did not understand   against the defendant.97 Ranger  Vela’s “may or
        specific terms in Spanish read out to him from the   may not affect you in court” statement, however,
        Miranda waiver. These arguments also depend on       was talking about the  Rangers  telling the
        Appellant’s testimony, which the trial court was     prosecutor whether or not the defendant was
        free to disbelieve and did disbelieve, given the     honest during the interview. Ranger  Vela was
        findings. Moreover,  Appellant indicated on the      saying that such a statement by the Rangers to the
        first recording that he understood his rights, and   prosecutor “may or may not affect” Appellant in
        on the second recording, he said that the warnings   court.  This in no way undermined the  Article
        need not be re-read because he understood them.      38.22 warning that whatever Appellant said might
        Appellant claims that Ranger Vela undermined the     be used against him.
        validity of his waiver of rights with
        respect to the second recorded interview when he     But even if the waiver as to the second
        disregarded Appellant’s invocation of his right to   interrogation were rendered invalid for the reasons
        cut off questioning. This argument is really just    Appellant suggests, any error in admitting the
        another way of stating his contention that the       second recorded statement was harmless for


        March-April 2023         www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140                         33
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