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D.Utah: Defendant's respecting officer's asking questions still made it voluntary

By John Wesley Hall, Jr.

The officer’s request to talk to the defendant was nonthreatening and noncoercive. The fact the defendant was respecting the officer’s wanting to ask questions and not feeling like he should just walk away was enough to make it consent. United States v. House, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110740 (D. Utah October 18, 2010): Although defense counsel argues that Officer Daley made a “show of force” by issuing commands at the defendant, the evidence presented at the hearing does not support this conclusion. In fact, the defendant’s own testimony demonstrates that Officer Daley’s request to speak with him was presented in a non-intrusive, non-aggressive manner. For example, when defense counsel asked the defendant, “Did you feel like you were free to leave at that point and walk away?” the defendant responded, “Well, sure, but I ain’t going to walk away from an officer trying to ask me questions...continue to full post

Full post as published by Fourth Amendment on October 22, 2010 (boomark / email).