STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. P.J.M. (16-01-0064, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (RECORD IMPOUNDED) ( 2020 )

RECORD IMPOUNDED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the
internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-1591-17T1
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
P.J.M.,
Defendant-Appellant.
__________________________
Argued March 20, 2019 – Decided January 22, 2020
Before Judges Fuentes, Accurso and Moynihan.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
Division, Cumberland County, Indictment No. 16-01-
0064.
Joseph J. Russo, Deputy Public Defender, argued the
cause for appellant (Joseph E. Krakora, Public
Defender, attorney; Stephen W. Kirsch, Assistant
Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).
Evgeniya Sitnikova, Deputy Attorney General, argued
the cause for respondent (Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney
General, attorney; Evgeniya Sitnikova, of counsel and
on the brief).
The opinion of the court was delivered by
FUENTES, P.J.A.D.
A Cumberland County grand jury returned an indictment against
defendant P.J.M. charging him with first degree aggravated sexual assault,
N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1), and second degree endangering the welfare of a child,
N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1). Defendant is the paternal uncle of A.J.C. (Amelia)1, the
victim of these crimes. According to Amelia, defendant sexually assaulted her
between November 6, 2006 and November 5, 2009, when she was between six
and eight years old.
The indictment also contained three additional counts charging defendant
with second degree sexual assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2b; first degree aggravated
sexual assault N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1); and second degree endangering the welfare
of a child, 2C:24-4a(1). The victim of these crimes, J.C., claimed defendant
sexually assaulted her in the City of Bridgeton between June 17, 2007 and June
16, 2008 when she was between eight and nine years old.
The allegations made by these two children were considered two separate
incidents. The State decided to try the charges involving Amelia's allegations
1
Pursuant to Rule 1:38-3(c)(9), we use pseudonyms or initials to protect the
privacy of the children and members of their family who have the same last
name.
A-1591-17T1
2
first. A petit jury convicted defendant of first degree aggravated sexual assault
and third degree endangering the welfare of a child, as a lesser included offense
of second degree endangering the welfare of a child. 2 The trial court thereafter
granted the State's motion to dismiss the three charges involving J.C., which
were reflected in counts three, four, and five of the indictment.
At the sentencing hearing, the trial court merged the third degree
endangering the welfare of a child conviction with the first degree aggravated
sexual assault and sentenced defendant to a term of sixteen years, with an eighty-
five percent period of parole ineligibility and five years of parole supervision as
required by the No Early Release Act (NERA), N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.1.
2
N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(a)(1) provides:
Any person having a legal duty for the care of a child
or who has assumed responsibility for the care of a
child who engages in sexual conduct which would
impair or debauch the morals of the child is guilty of a
crime of the second degree. Any other person who
engages in conduct or who causes harm as described in
this paragraph to a child is guilty of a crime of the third
degree.
[(Emphasis added).]
Because defendant was convicted of third degree endangering the welfare of a
child, we infer the jury found the State did not prove, beyond a reasonable doubt,
he had "a legal duty" or had "assumed responsibility for the care of" Amelia at
the time he sexually assaulted her.
A-1591-17T1
3
In this appeal, defendant alleges that while he was detained in the County
Jail in connection with these charges, a representative of the Division of Child
Protection and Permanency (Division) "interrogated" him concerning the
allegations made by his niece without first informing his attorney and without
advising him of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).
Defendant also argues that the trial judge erred in denying his motion to suppress
an incriminating statement he made to the Division caseworker.
The judge found the Division caseworker was acting on behalf of the State
but was not conducting a criminal investigation at the time she interviewed
defendant. The judge also found that the law enforcement agents who
interrogated defendant apprised him of his rights under Miranda at the time he
was arrested, six weeks before his interactions with the Division caseworker.
The motion judge held this waiver remained in full force and effect at the time
defendant was interviewed by the Division caseworker.
The State argues we should uphold the judge's findings because they were
based on his assessment of defendant's understanding under the totality of the
circumstances and there is "no bright-line rule" that establishes when the State
is required to re-administer Miranda warnings. According to the State, the judge
properly found that additional warnings were not warranted "because the time
A-1591-17T1
4
interval between the interviews on its own did not vitiate the existing warning. "
After reviewing the record developed before the motion judge, we reverse.
I
The Investigation
On April 7, 2014, Amelia's younger sister A.C. (Anita) attended a child
abuse prevention program held at her elementary school. At the conclusion of
the program, Anita approached the school's counselor, Maria Lopez, and told
her she overheard a conversation her older sister Amelia had with their mother
about sexual abuse. Counselor Lopez reported Anita's allegations to the
Bridgeton Police Department.
Bridgeton Detectives Kenneth Leyman and Miguel Martinez were
dispatched to the school that same day to investigate. After speaking to
Counselor Lopez, the detectives drove to Amelia's residence. After briefly
discussing the allegations with Amelia and her mother, the detectives decided
to take them to the Bridgeton police station to interview them formally. Amelia
was thirteen years old at the time. Detective Leyman testified that Counselor
Lopez told him the family was a "Spanish speaking . . . household[.]" Detective
Martinez spoke Spanish and was prepared to interpret in the event Amelia or her
mother had any difficulty understanding English or expressing themselv es in
A-1591-17T1
5
English. However, Detective Leyman testified that Amelia was "very fluent" in
English.
According to Detective Leyman, Amelia was very upset and "basically
started to cry" when he asked her if she knew why she was there. He described
her demeanor throughout the interview as "[v]ery solemn." She "sobbed a lot[,]
. . . [w]as unable to keep her eyes up[,] . . . [and] [was] just very, very distraught."
Notwithstanding her distressed emotional state, Detective Leyman testified that
Amelia was eventually able to describe what occurred. She told Detective
Leyman that defendant began to sexually molest her when she was
approximately six years old and continued until she was eight.
Because Amelia "was unable to verbalize some of the information, due to
the fact that she was crying[,]" Detective Leyman "offered her a pen and a pad
of paper[.]" As part of his direct examination, the prosecutor did not ask
Detective Leyman to produce the paper or disclose what Amelia wrote. In
response to defense counsel's cross-examination, Detective Leyman testified
that Amelia only wrote "sexual intercourse" on the piece of paper. Defense
counsel pursued this line of questioning with Detective Leyman:
Q. Okay. So she never actually said he touched me, he
did this to me, he put his penis inside of me. She never
actually said those words to you; correct?
A-1591-17T1
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A. During the interview she described the scenario little
by little. I mean, there were words exchanged. As time
went on, she was able to answer questions. She just
wasn’t able to give elaborate answers on those
questions verbally.
Q. Okay. So you didn’t actually get a lot of detail from
her. Is that correct?
A. Not at that time, no.
Q. Was there ever a point in time where you
interviewed her again and got more detail?
A. Well, the -- as to location, things of that nature, but
during the --
Q. But you never actually got more detail as to what
actually happened to her; correct?
A. I was able to get the abuse scenario; the position,
where it happened, as far as not location geographically
but the area that -- or what they were in at the time of
the assaults. I was able to get the positions of the sexual
encounters, as far as their positioning to one another
being missionary. I was able to determine how their
clothing was positioned during that time.
Q. Okay. Let’s talk about that. In regards [sic] to her
clothing, it’s fair to say that she told you that they were
both undressed from the waist down. Is that correct?
A. Yes, ma’am.
Q. She said that neither of them had any pants on?
A. Yes.
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Detective Leyman characterized Amelia's mother's attitude as
"supportive." Conversely, he described Amelia's father's demeanor as
"indifferent" and defensive of his brother. According to Detective Leyman,
Amelia's father did not believe his daughter's allegations against defendant.
II
Complaining Witness' Testimony
Amelia was sixteen years old at the time she testified at defendant's trial.
It is undisputed that defendant resided with Amelia and her family at the time
she claimed he sexually assaulted her. Amelia testified she was six years old
when she accompanied defendant to the laundromat on a regular basis to wash
the family's clothes. The prosecutor asked Amelia to describe what occurred on
these trips to the laundromat:
Q. Okay. [Amelia], was there a time when . . . your
uncle did something to you when you were on one of
those errands?
A. Yes.
....
Q. Did he do something to you?
A. Yes.
Q. Was this something that made you feel bad?
A. (No audible response)
A-1591-17T1
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Q. You’re nodding your head. You’ve got to give
an answer.
A. Yes. Yes.
....
Q. Okay. Can we start with maybe where it might have
happened? Where would it happen?
A. It was like, okay, there was one time at the
laundromat and the other times would be at, like, a
deserted area or near like an ocean or like a sea.
Q. Okay. Okay. Now, you’re talking about a couple of
times. How many times . . . did your uncle do
something to you?
A. I can’t count how many times but it was many times.
When the prosecutor asked her to "roughly" recall how many times,
Amelia responded: "[s]ix . . . maybe around eight" times over approximately
two years. Amelia also testified that these encounters occurred in Greenwich
Township. Amelia testified that she took Detective Leyman to the places where
defendant sexually assaulted her. When asked how she was able to remember,
Amelia explained: "Because we went by car and there [were] windows around
and I could see like around, and also there were some places that were where me
and my dad go fishing." She also said defendant took her to these places when
they were the only two people in the minivan.
A-1591-17T1
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The prosecutor provided Amelia with a copy of the transcript of her
interview by Detective Leyman to refresh her recollection. After Amelia
reviewed the statements she made at that time, the prosecutor asked her to
describe what occurred. Amelia testified that defendant would first park the
minivan and exit the vehicle from the driver-side door. She described how the
sexual assaults occurred in response to the prosecutor's questions:
Q. Okay. And then where would he go?
A. He would shut the door and then he would go around
to the -- there was a slide door. Then he would open the
door.
Q. Okay. And where were you at that point?
A. Well, it was a slide door and then I would be seated
on the back seat.
Q. Would he ever -- well, talking about this in -- first
incident, if you can remember. You’re on the seat. Does
he position you in a certain way?
A. Yes.
Q. And how was that?
A. My back would always be on the seat.
Q. So would he lay you down on your back –
A. Yes.
Q. -- on the seat?
A-1591-17T1
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A. Yes.
At this point, defense counsel requested a sidebar conference. Although
this part of the transcript contains a number of "inaudible" references in lieu of
actual words, it appears defense counsel objected and argued the prosecutor was
improperly asking leading questions. The trial judge overruled the objection
and the prosecutor resumed her direct examination of the witness. Amelia
described how defendant would lay her down on her back and take down her
"undergarment." Because this "was like a regular-type thing," Amelia testified
that sometimes she "would just take them off." When asked to clarify, Amelia
stated that her underwear "would be below my ankles. Since I’m laying down,
my ankles would touch the floor."
The prosecutor asked Amelia to describe what happened next:
A. I would hear his zipper go down and he would take
down his pants.
Q. And then what would happen?
A. And then he would take out his –
Q. He would take -- you have to say the word? He
would take out his what?
A. God. He would take out his --
Q. Do you know what word you want to use?
A. Yes.
A-1591-17T1
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Q. Do you have an answer?
A. Yes. His penis.
Q. And after he would remove his penis, what would he
do? Remove his penis from his pants, I should say.
A. He would put it inside my vagina.
Q. Would he say anything to you while he did this to
you?
A. No.
Q. And this was what you can remember being the first
time the [d]efendant did this to you?
A. Yes.
Q. Now, you said that . . . it happen[ed] a number of
times over two years. Was this how it always
happened?
A. Yes.
III
Complaining Witness's Father's Testimony
Amelia's father D.J.A. (Diego), who is also defendant's brother, testified
as a witness for the State. He testified that starting in either 2003 or 2005,
defendant lived with him, his wife, and his two daughters, Amelia and Anita,
for a period of seven years. He also confirmed that defendant owned a minivan
and would take Amelia with him to the laundromat. When the prosecutor asked
A-1591-17T1
12
him about his relationship with defendant, Diego responded: " [w]e love each
other a lot."
Diego testified that he did not believe his daughter when his wife first told
him that Amelia had accused his brother of sexually assaulting her. He testified
that he asked Amelia directly "what happened" several times; but "she did not
tell [him] anything." He also claimed he "felt bad" when the police officers
came to his house and told him that Amelia alleged defendant had sexually
assaulted her. Diego decided to personally confront his brother about these
allegations "a couple of days" after he was arrested. This prompted the
following questions by the prosecutor:
Q. Okay. And why do you talk to him?
A. Because I was going to ask him for the truth. If it
happened or if it did not happen.
Q. And by the truth, are you referring to the allegations
that [Amelia] made?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you ask him if it were true?
A. Yes.
Q. And what did he tell you?
A. He responded that it was true.
Q. How was your brother’s emotion when he said
A-1591-17T1
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that to you?
A. He said that, I felt very bad. I don’t know how
to --
Q. Did you see him act in a certain way?
A. Yes.
Q. And how was that?
A. He -- when I went to see him in -- at the jail,3 he
started crying.
The prosecutor concluded his direct examination by asking Diego whether
defendant ever said anything to him "about forgiveness" during this
conversation. Diego testified that defendant specifically asked him for his
forgiveness.
On cross-examination by defense counsel, Diego testified that he helped
defendant monetarily even after he told him he sexually molested Amelia.
Diego also testified that after defendant was arrested "the police and people from
the Prosecutor’s Office" came to his house and told him that he had to be
supportive of Amelia. Diego also claimed these same State agents warned him
3
Diego's disclosure of defendant's detention status prompted defense counsel
to move for a mistrial. At a sidebar conference, defense counsel emphasized
that the witness had been previously instructed not to mention defendant's
detention status in the presence of the jury. The judge characterized the witness'
testimony as "a passing reference" that was "not overly prejudicial" and
summarily denied the motion.
A-1591-17T1
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"about things that could happen" if he did not believe Amelia's account of the
events. Finally, in response to defense counsel's questions, Diego testified that
he did not disclose to the police the conversation he had with defendant at the
jail until 2015.
IV
Division Investigator's Testimony
The State also called as a witness Division caseworker and investigator
Mila Tirado. She described her primary responsibility is "[t]o ensure the safety
of the children." This broad mandate includes investigating allegations of sexual
abuse of children. At the time the trial began in February 2017, Tirado had been
employed by the Division in this capacity for six years. She was assigned to
investigate the allegations of sexual abuse made by Amelia against defendant.
She was also aware that the Bridgeton Police Department was investigating the
same allegations to determine whether a crime had been committed.
Tirado testified, however, that she was charged by the Division to conduct
an independent investigation "[t]o make sure that the parents weren’t abusive or
weren’t neglectful, or anybody in a caregiver role." In this capacity, Tirado
testified that even "if there is a substantiation of abuse, whether it’s sexual or
physical[,]" she does not file criminal charges against the abuser. She testified
A-1591-17T1
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that only law enforcement agencies were authorized to determine whether a
crime has been committed.
Tirado explained that she was tasked with investigating the allegations of
sexual abuse against defendant because he had at times functioned as a caregiver
to Amelia. In response to the prosecutor's question, Tirado also made clear that
she was fluent in Spanish because it was the dominant language in her home and
consequently her "first language" as a child. She did not have any difficulty
communicating with defendant or Amelia's parents. 4
Tirado testified that according to established Division protocols, a
caseworker assigned to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse must allow
criminal law enforcement investigators to take the "lead role." She explained
that law enforcement investigators who are charged with investigating these
crimes are specially trained to interview children. After speaking with the lead
detective in the Bridgeton Police Department on April 8, 2014, she began her
own independent investigation. However, Tirado emphasized "that I’m allowed
to go out and see the children. I just can’t talk about the actual sex abuse. I can
ask general safety questions."
4
Both of Amelia's parents testified at trial through court certified Spanish
language interpreters. Defendant was also provided with an interpreter
throughout the trial.
A-1591-17T1
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In accordance with Division policy, Tirado testified she was also required
to interview the alleged perpetrator. She testified that she had interviewed
"hundreds" of alleged perpetrators during her career as a Division investigator.
Tirado also made clear that she did not receive any direction about how to
interview defendant from the Bridgeton Police Department or the Cumberland
County Prosecutor’s Office. In response to the prosecutor's question, Tirado
testified that she did not audio-record her interview with defendant because she
was not required to do so by the Division.
She also testified that during the interview, she identified herself as a
Division investigator and told defendant that "[m]y purpose in speaking with
him was to see if any abuse occurred . . . [t]o get his side of the story." She did
not advise defendant of his rights under Miranda before starting the interview.
She conducted the interview in Spanish and did not have any difficulty
communicating with defendant. When she asked defendant "what happened
between him and [Amelia]," he merely responded that "he made a bad decision."
When she asked him whether he had had "sex with her", he answered: "[y]es."
Tirado testified that defendant was aware that Amelia had filed a
complaint against him accusing him of having sexually molested her. Tirado
testified that she asked defendant to describe the details of the sexual abuse. In
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response to the prosecutor's questions, Tirado elaborated on what defendant
allegedly told her:
A: [T]he devil got a hold of his mind. No, he -- the devil
got a hold of him and he lost his mind. I’m not exactly
sure if it -- what. It’s in my report but, you know,
exactly what came first. I think he said the devil got a
hold of him and that he lost his mind.
Q. Was that something that he said to you once?
A. He kept saying it. He kept repeating that, you know,
he lost his mind.
Q. Now, again, by way of the [d]efendant’s demeanor,
can you describe his demeanor during the interview
with you?
A. His -- he just seemed taken back, a little shocked,
nervous.
Q. And is this -- you said you did a good number of
interviews. Is this behavior common with these kinds
of interviews?
A. Yes.
Q. Now, Ms. Tirado, did you ask him anything else in
regards to the abuse?
A. Well, I asked him for details but he didn’t respond.
Q. So did you ask him a number of times for additional
details?
A. Yes.
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Q. And those answers that you just gave us, were those
answers that he gave in response to your questions?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he indicate to you whether or not he had
made a mistake?
A. Yes. Yes.
Q. And what was it that he said?
A. I don’t recall the exact words. 5
Okay. He said that he made a mistake with her and he
was not sure why.
On cross-examination, Tirado testified her interview took approximately
twenty-five minutes. By contrast, her thirteen-page investigation report of the
incident dedicated only a two-sentence paragraph to defendant's interview.
Tirado also testified that she took notes during her interview but did not provide
a copy to either the Prosecutor’s Office or defense counsel. Furthermore,
although she typed "what happened with the interview right away[,]" she
completed her report "two weeks after."
Tirado testified that she was in contact with the police "from the time . . .
these allegations were initially made." She also watched the video record of
5
To refresh her recollection, the prosecutor showed the witness a Division
Investigation Report, which had been previously marked for identification.
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Amelia's interview conducted by the detectives who were investigating the
allegations and asked them for a copy of the child's statement. Tirado also
interviewed Amelia "as well as the other children [who] were in the home." In
response to defense counsel's question, Tirado elaborated on the substance of
the "safety questions" she asked the children, including Amelia:
Q. What do those general safety questions include?
A. Do they feel safe in their home? Are they afraid of
anyone? Forms of discipline?
Q. Do you ask them whether or not they’ve been
touched inappropriately by anybody inside of the
house?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you also ask them whether or not they’ve been
touched inappropriately by anybody at all, not just
somebody inside the house?
A. Yes.
Q. And are those safety questions standard questions
that you ask when you go out for any investigation?
A. Yes.
Returning to the thirteen-page Division report Tirado submitted in this
case, defense counsel asked Tirado about certain allegations Amelia made to a
pediatrician who conducted a physical examination on the child. Specifically,
defense counsel asked Tirado:
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Q. With regard to the interview that [Amelia] gave to
the NJ Cares doctor, at some point in time, is it fair to
say that she told the NJ Cares doctor, she alleged that
[defendant] also took pictures of her with his cell phone
and that he showed her pornographic videos while they
were in his car, also?
A. Yes. Yes.
Q. Okay. But from your understanding, she never said
that in her interview with Detective Leyman; correct?
A. Correct.
Defense counsel questioned Tirado about defendant's references to the
devil and noted that she wrote in her report that defendant "appeared confused
and disoriented during [her] interview." Defense counsel also questioned Tirado
about Amelia's father, Diego, and his initial concerns about his daughter's
credibility. Defense counsel asked Tirado:
Q. Did he, in fact, say that [Amelia] had a history of
making things up?
A. He said that -- he -- I asked him if he believed his
daughter. "He told the worker he wanted to make sure
it happened because [Amelia] has a history of making
things up." And he gave an example about, she lied
about --
The record shows the trial judge interrupted the witness's testimony and
sua sponte requested a sidebar conference with counsel. At this point, the
transcript of the sidebar conference states: "Whereupon a significantly inaudible
A-1591-17T1
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sidebar discussion commenced . . . [.]" The few audible words included in the
transcript are not enough to infer, within a reasonable degree of reliability, the
nature of the discussion, the legal issues raised, or the ultimate decision reached
by the trial judge. When the sidebar conference ended, defense counsel asked
Tirado the following question:
Q. Aside from the time . . . that’s specifically mentioned
in your report, did you ever inquire with [Amelia’s]
parents as to whether or not there were any other times?
A. No.
Defendant did not call any witnesses and opted not to testify in his own
defense. Against this record, defendant raises the following arguments in this
appeal.
V
POINT I
THE JUDGE IMPROPERLY DENIED
DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO EXCLUDE HIS
STATEMENT TO A DCP&P INVESTIGATOR THAT
WAS THE PRODUCT OF AN UNRECORDED,
UNWARNED CUSTODIAL INTERROGATION IN
VIOLATION OF HIS FIFTH AND SIXTH
AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND OF HIS STATE
COMMON-LAW RIGHT AGAINST SELF-
INCRIMINATION AND STATE-
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
A. Under Both The Fifth Amendment
And New Jersey Common Law, For Two
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Independent Reasons, New Miranda
Warnings Were Required In Order For
Investigator Tirado To Obtain A Knowing
And Voluntary Waiver From Defendant Of
His Fifth Amendment And State-Law
Rights Against Self-Incrimination.
(1) The Totality Of The Circumstances
Warranted A Finding That Defendant
Could Not Knowingly And Voluntarily
Waive His Rights Without New Miranda
Warnings.
(2) In Defendant's First Interrogation, He
Invoked His Right To Counsel, And, Thus,
Under State v. Hartley, New Miranda
Warnings Were Required Before A New
Interrogation Could Occur.
B. Under The Sixth Amendment And The
State Constitution, Defendant Should Not
Have Been Interrogated In The Manner
That He Was By Investigator Tirado Once
His Sixth Amendment Right To Counsel
Had Attached.
(1) Even The Diminished Version Of The
Sixth Amendment Right To Counsel That
Is Recognized In Montejo v. Louisiana,
Mandated That Reasonably
Contemporaneous Miranda Warnings Must
Be Given To A Defendant In Order For
That Defendant To Properly Waive The
Sixth Amendment Right To Counsel.
(2) Even If The Sixth Amendment Right To
Counsel Could Possibly Be Deemed To Be
Waived Here Under Montejo, The New
A-1591-17T1
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Jersey Constitution And Common Law
Would Mandate Suppression.
POINT II
THE TRIAL JUDGE MERGED A CONVICTION,
AND THEN ERRONEOUSLY SENTENCED
DEFENDANT TO PAY PENALTIES ON THAT
CONVICTION ANYWAY; THE JUDGE ALSO
ERRONEOUSLY IMPOSED THE MAXIMUM
PENALTY UNDER N.J.S.A. 2C:14-10 WITH NO
REFERENCE TO DEFENDANT'S ABILITY TO PAY.
(Not Raised Below)
After reviewing the record developed before the trial court, we reverse
defendant's conviction and remand this matter for a new trial.
We are satisfied the trial judge committed reversible error when he denied
defense counsel's motion to bar the admission of inculpatory statements
defendant allegedly made to Division investigator Tirado when she interviewed
him at the county jail. We hold Tirado was required to apprise defendant of his
Miranda rights because she interviewed him in a custodial setting. Under the
totality of the circumstances, defendant's waiver of his Miranda rights thirty-six
days earlier when he was interrogated at the police station by the two detectives
was not sufficient to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that his waiver remained
legally viable. However, we hold that Tirado did not violate defendant's Sixth
Amendment right to counsel when she interviewed him without his attorney's
consent.
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Defendant was arrested on these charges on April 7, 2014. Bridgeton
Police Detectives Leyman and Martinez administered Miranda warnings to
defendant at the police station. Defendant thereafter voluntarily waived his Fifth
Amendment rights and agreed to answer the detectives' questions during the
following two hours. Defendant did not make any incriminating statements
during this interrogation. He was transported to the county jail and held there
until his trial and subsequent conviction. On May 16, 2014, thirty-six days after
he was first apprised of his Miranda rights, Tirado interviewed defendant at the
county jail without his attorney's knowledge or consent and without again
informing him of his Miranda rights.
At the N.J.R.E. 104(c) evidentiary hearing conducted by the judge before
the start of trial, Tirado testified the Division received a referral from the
Bridgeton Police Department involving allegations of sexual abuse of a child by
her paternal uncle. The victim was then thirteen years old. Tirado testified her
responsibility was to determine whether there was evidence that the child had
been abused and whether the parents were aware of the abuse. She first
interviewed the victim, her siblings, and the parents.
Tirado testified that she was also required to interview the perpetrator of
the abuse. It is undisputed that at the time Tirado interviewed defendant at the
Cumberland County Jail: (1) she had spoken with law enforcement agents
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25
assigned to investigate the case; (2) she had viewed the video-audio record of
the child's interview by law enforcement detectives; (3) she had read the
statement defendant gave to law enforcement agents after he was given Miranda
warnings; and (4) she knew defendant had been assigned an attorney to represent
him in this case.
In response to the prosecutor's questions, Tirado made clear that she was
conducting an independent investigation. She did not ask any questions on
behalf of the Prosecutor's Office nor was she ever requested by any law
enforcement agent to do so. She also was not contacted by any attorney on
behalf of defendant. The purpose of her interview was to determine whether
defendant had abused his niece.
Q. Now, was the purpose of your interview to gain
additional evidence that could be used in the
prosecution against [defendant], or was it to gain
information to determine whether or not a
substantiation of abuse or neglect was proper?
A. To see whether a substantiation of abuse or neglect
was conducted.
Q. Now, when you sit down with [defendant] in this
isolated area that you’re speaking about, when you first
sit down with him, did you at any time provide what
law enforcement typically refers to as Miranda
warnings?
A. No.
A-1591-17T1
26
Q. Okay. And are you familiar with the term Miranda
warnings?
A. Yes.
Tirado also testified that defendant never told her that he did not want to answer
her questions or asked her to stop the interview.
On cross-examination at the N.J.R.E. 104(c) hearing, Tirado admitted it
is "normal" for her to inform the police of anything "criminal" she discovers in
the course of her investigation.
Q. So on a regular basis, if . . . somebody admits to
something or you -- some allegations, you hand that
information over; correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And you knew there were criminal charges already
pending against [defendant]; correct, when you
interviewed him?
A. Yes.
The trial judge found defendant was in a custodial setting at the time the
Division investigator interviewed him at the county jail. The judge also found
that under these circumstances, the Division investigator was required to advise
defendant of his Miranda rights and obtained his knowing, intelligent waiver of
those constitutional rights before asking him any questions related to these
charges. We agree.
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27
The facts we confront here are similar to the facts this court addressed in
State v. Helewa, 223 N.J. Super. 40 (App. Div. 1988). In Helewa, the defendant
was arrested by Old Bridge Township Police Department detectives and charged
with sexually assaulting his two teenaged daughters. Id. at 42. He was
transported to police headquarters, advised of his Miranda rights "and given a
Miranda warning card . . . [.]" Ibid. The defendant read the warning card, signed
it in the presence of a police officer, and did not request an attorney. Ibid.
However, unlike what occurred here, the defendant in Helewa was not
questioned by law enforcement agents until he was transferred to the Middlesex
County Adult Corrections Center (Corrections Center) five hours later. Ibid.
A Division6 caseworker interviewed the defendant's wife and daughters
on the evening of the defendant's arrest. Ibid. Although she asked to interview
the defendant that night as well, Old Bridge Police Officers requested that she
postpone his interview. Ibid. The caseworker also obtained a copy of the
complaint the police filed against the defendant and the Miranda card he signed.
Id. at 42-43. We thus noted that the caseworker "was aware that [the] defendant
had been advised of his rights" when she arrived to interview him the following
day at the Corrections Center. Id. at 43.
6
At the time this court decided Helewa in 1985, the Division was named
"Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)."
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The interview between [the] defendant and [the
Division caseworker] took place in a small office or
"Special Needs Pod" within the Corrections Center, but
outside of the presence of the police or the prison
guards. [The caseworker] introduced herself as a
[Division] caseworker and explained that she needed to
discuss the allegations of sexual abuse with him. [The]
[d]efendant, however, expressed reservations about
discussing these allegations and told [the caseworker]
that "he had talked with his two lawyers and he had
talked to his father and he had talked to his girlfriend
. . . and he wasn't sure if his lawyer would get mad at
him for speaking to [her]." In response, [the
caseworker] told him that "he should do what he
thought was best" and explained that although she did
not work for the prosecutor's office or the police
department, a copy of his statement would be sent to
the prosecutor's office.
[The caseworker] did not pressure [the] defendant into
talking or indicate that the interview would be for his
benefit. However, she did tell him, "You can talk to
me, this is part of the investigation", to which [the]
defendant apparently responded, "I don't know whether
my lawyer will be mad at me or not but I have nothing
to lose so I'm going to talk to you." Although [the]
defendant was aware at this time that he did not have to
talk to her and that he had the right to have an attorney
present, he was not re-advised of his Miranda rights by
[the caseworker] prior to giving the interview. The
interview lasted an hour and 15 minutes. Eventually,
[the caseworker] turned [the] defendant's statement
over to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
[Ibid.]
Writing for the court in Helewa, Judge Michels noted that in Mathis v.
United States, 391 U.S. 1 (1968), the United States Supreme Court suppressed
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29
an oral statement the defendant made to an Internal Revenue Agent (IRS) while
he was serving a state prison sentence. Helewa, 223 N.J. Super. at 45. That
case involved an IRS agent who elicited information from the defendant in
connection with a routine civil action to collect delinquent taxes, without first
advising him of his Miranda rights. Ibid. However, "the Government began a
full-fledged criminal investigation eight days later and successfully prosecuted
[the] defendant for two counts of tax fraud." Ibid. The Government argued the
defendant's oral statements were admissible because they were solicited in
connection with a civil enforcement action. Ibid. The Supreme Court rejected
this argument and held:
It is true that a "routine tax investigation" may be
initiated for the purpose of a civil action rather than
criminal prosecution . . . But tax investigations
frequently lead to criminal prosecutions, just as the one
here did . . . And, as the investigating revenue agent
was compelled to admit, there was always the
possibility during his investigation that his work would
end up in a criminal prosecution.
[Ibid. (quoting Mathis, 391 U.S. at 4).]
Judge Michels also cited Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454 (1981), a situation
analogous to Mathis, where the Court held "that a court-ordered psychiatric
examination, given without Miranda warnings, cannot be used in the penalty
proceeding of a capital murder case to demonstrate the defendant's depravity."
A-1591-17T1
30
Id. at 45-46 (citing Estelle, 451 U.S. at 467). Finally, Judge Michaels cited
United States v. Mata-Abundiz, 717 F.2d 1277 (9th Cir.1983), where the Circuit
Court relied on Mathis to suppress the statement the defendant gave to a criminal
investigator from the Immigration and Naturalization Service while the
defendant was incarcerated on state firearm charges. Id. at 46. Thus, following
the constitutional principles established in this trilogy of cases, we held in
Helewa "that Miranda applies to a custodial interview conducted by a [Division]
caseworker . . . under the circumstances here present." Id. at 47.
We have consistently recognized and endorsed this constitutional
principle. In State v. Flower, 224 N.J. Super. 208 (Law Div. 1987), aff'd o.b.,
224 N.J. Super. 90 (App. Div. 1988), we upheld the suppression of a statement
obtained from the defendant by a Division caseworker in an interview conducted
in a county jail. There, the caseworker did not first advise the defendant of his
rights under Miranda, despite knowing the defendant was incarcerated on the
charge of sexually assaulting a three-and-a-half year old child. Id. at 211.
However, relying on our Supreme Court's decisions in State v. Nyhammer,
197 N.J. 383 (2009), State v. Melvin, 65 N.J. 1 (1974), and State v. Magee, 52
N.J. 352 (1968), the trial judge here found the Miranda warnings Detectives
Leyman and Martinez gave defendant on April 7, 2014 remained
constitutionally viable under these circumstances to admit defendant's
A-1591-17T1
31
inculpatory statements during Tirado's interview at the county jail. According
to the trial judge, defendant "never lost focus of the fact that the things that he
. . . was saying, were useable against him" and "knew he had a right to an
attorney and he didn’t have to speak if he didn’t want to." The trial judge
acknowledged that the facts here involve "a substantially longer period of time
. . . than was present in the McGee case, or the Melvin case, or the Niemeyer
case." Nonetheless, he concluded:
I do find that it is significant that he remained
incarcerated from the time that his initial interview to
the time of the second interview. But, I find that it is
significant because it demonstrates that the defendant
never had an opportunity to lose focus on why he was
there. He was incarcerated immediately after being
interviewed, initially, where he made his general
denials.
....
[P]rior to his statement he was . . . aware that the person
he was speaking to was an agent of the State of New
Jersey. He understood he was dealing with a person
who was there under color of authority of the State,
when he was making his statements.
[I]t was not a situation as if [an] undercover person was
being placed into this environment in order to get him
to speak without an understanding that what he was
saying was an official statement on his part.
She identified herself as a DCP&P worker. She
indicated she was investigating the circumstances of the
A-1591-17T1
32
same event for which he had previously been
Mirandized.
....
[T]he Court finds . . . his Miranda rights were intact at
the time of the DCP&P worker’s interview, that the
passage of time did not, in and of itself, work to vitiate
the validity of the waiver he gave at the time of his
initial interview.
The trial judge's reliance on the Court's holding in Magee was misplaced.
In Magee, the police apprised the defendant of his rights under Miranda. Two-
and-a-half-days later, the defendant, while in custody, voluntarily came forward
and made inculpatory statements. 52 N.J. at 372-75. Under these circumstances,
the defendant in Magee argued that when he made "an unsolicited invitation" to
the police to question him further, the officers were required to repeat the
Miranda warnings before proceeding further. Id. at 374.
Writing for the Court, Justice Francis rejected the defendant's argument
but included the following significant caveat which we highlight here:
Once Miranda's rule has been complied with at the
threshold of the questioning it is not necessary as a
matter of law to repeat the warnings at each successive
interview. . . . In this connection the important factors
are whether the suspect understood that he did not have
to speak, the consequences of speaking, and that he had
the right to counsel before doing so if he wished. A
circumstance to be considered also is the period of time
between the warnings and the volunteered inculpatory
admission. Here the time lapse was short, and, as we
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33
have said, defendant was not a neophyte in court
matters and the use of counsel.
[Id. at 374-75 (emphasis added).]
Here, the trial judge concluded that the Miranda warning defendant
received from Bridgeton Detectives Leyman and Martinez at the time of his
arrest on April 7, 2014 were sufficient to overcome Tirado's failure to carry out
her obligation to apprise him of his Miranda rights when she interviewed him at
the county jail thirty-six days later on May 16, 2014. We disagree. These facts
are critically different from the circumstances the Court confronted in Magee.
Here, defendant made the inculpatory statements in response to Tirado's
questions. He did not voluntarily offer or spontaneously utter these inculpatory
remarks to Tirado. Furthermore, the record shows this is defendant's first and
only involvement with the criminal justice system. Finally and most
significantly, the time gap here was thirty-six days.
As an appellate court, we are bound to defer "to a trial court's factual
findings concerning the voluntariness of a confession that are based on sufficient
credible evidence in the record." State v. L.H., 239 N.J. 22, 47 (2019) (citing
State v. Elders, 192 N.J. 224, 244 (2007)). However, "'[w]hen faced with a
trial court's admission of police-obtained statements, an appellate court should
engage in a searching and critical review of the record to ensure protection of a
A-1591-17T1
34
defendant's constitutional rights.'" Ibid. (quoting State v. Hreha, 217 N.J. 368,
381-82 (2014) (citation omitted)).
Under the totality of these circumstances, we conclude the record does not
support the trial judge's finding that defendant's Miranda rights remained legally
viable at the time Tirado interviewed him thirty-six days later. Under these
circumstances, it is unreasonable to expect an ordinary person in defendant's
situation to recall and meaningfully comprehend Miranda rights read to him by
police investigators more than a month earlier. In short, the circumstances here
materially diluted the effectiveness of the warning the police investigators
provided defendant on April 7, 2014. State v. Dispoto, 189 N.J. 108, 124-25
(2007).
Tirado also failed to follow the standards codified in Rule 3:17(a), which
requires that "custodial interrogations conducted in a place of detention must be
electronically recorded when the person being interrogated is charged with . . .
aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact,
[and/or] criminal sexual contact . . . [.]" Rule 3:17(b) lists the circumstances
under which electronically recording is not required. None of the exemptions
listed in Rule 3:17(b) apply here.
Defendant also argues Tirado violated his Sixth Amendment right to
counsel by interviewing him at the county jail without first obtaining the consent
A-1591-17T1
35
of his attorney. We disagree. At the time Tirado interviewed defendant, she
was not required to obtain his attorney's consent to interview him at the county
jail.
Our Supreme Court has made clear that after an indictment, the State
"should not initiate a conversation with defendants without the consent of
defense counsel." State v. Sanchez, 129 N.J. 261, 277 (1992). After a defendant
is indicted, he or she may not waive his right to counsel without the advice of
counsel. Ibid. However, the Court has consistently declined repeated efforts to
extend Sanchez's holding to earlier criminal proceedings. State ex rel. P.M.P.,
200 N.J. 166, 175 (2009); State v. A.G.D., 178 N.J. 56, 58 (2003); State v.
Tucker, 137 N.J. 259, 291 (1994).
In Sanchez, the Court explained the rationale for forbidding "prosecutors
or their representatives" from initiating a conversation with defendants without
the consent of defense counsel:
The return of an indictment transforms the relationship
between the State and the defendant. By obtaining the
indictment, the State represents that it has sufficient
evidence to establish a prima facie case. Once the
indictment is returned, the State is committed to
prosecute the defendant. From that moment, if not
before, the prosecutor and the defendant are
adversaries. Questioning the accused can be only "for
the purpose of buttressing . . . a prima facie case." The
spotlight is on the accused. Under those circumstances,
the perfunctory recitation of the right to counsel and to
A-1591-17T1
36
remain silent may not provide that defendant with
sufficient information to make a knowing and
intelligent waiver. Such a recitation does not tell the
defendant the nature of the charges, the dangers of self-
representation, or the steps counsel might take to
protect the defendant's interests. Those steps include
pretrial motions such as those to test the sufficiency of
the indictment or to suppress illegally-seized evidence.
They also include the negotiation, subject to the
approval of the court, of a plea agreement. Given the
adversarial nature of their relationship, for the State's
representatives to communicate adequately that
information to an indicted defendant would be difficult,
nigh to impossible.
[129 N.J. at 276-77 (citations omitted).]
Here, Tirado's role as a Division investigator was to determine whether
Amelia was safe; whether her parents had taken the necessary measures to
ensure her physical safety and emotional welfare; and to investigate the veracity
of Amelia's allegations of sexual abuse against her paternal uncle. Tirado's
testimony at trial describing her activities and responsibilities in this case is
consistent with the duties of Division investigators codified in the regulations
promulgated by the Department of Children and Families, N.J.S.A. 9:3A-1 to -
3A-17.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 3A:10-3.1(a), a child protective investigator is
required to interview a child who may have been abused in person and
individually. During the investigation of a report containing any allegation, the
A-1591-17T1
37
child protective investigator shall observe each non-verbal alleged child victim.
The child protective investigator shall use sensitivity to avoid further trauma to
each alleged child victim. The investigator is also required to interview "the
reporter and each other person identified in the current report or related
information as having knowledge of the incident . . . including, but not limited
to the alleged perpetrator." N.J.A.C. 3A:10-3.1(b) (6) and (7).
The Court's holding in Sanchez is predicated on the notion that the
relationship between a defendant and the prosecutor becomes adversarial only
after the return of a grand jury indictment. We discern no legal basis to apply a
different standard to review Tirado's interactions with defendant in this case.
Moreover, unlike the activities of a prosecutor's investigator, the scope of a
Division investigator's role at this stage of the case is codified in N.J.A.C.
3A:10-3.2. We thus hold that the Court's holding in Sanchez applies with equal
force to Tirado in her role as a Division investigator. Her decision to interview
defendant without first obtaining his attorney's consent did not violate
defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
VI
We disagree with the State that the admission of Tirado's testimony was
harmless error. The State did not present any physical or forensic evidence to
corroborate Amelia's testimony. The State's case against defendant was entirely
A-1591-17T1
38
based on the credibility of the complaining witness and the admissions of
defendant's inculpatory statements made to his brother and to the Division's
investigator.
"The test for determining whether an error is harmless 'is whether there is
a reasonable possibility that the evidence complained of might have contributed
to the conviction.'" Sanchez, 129 N.J. at 278 (quoting Chapman v. California,
386 U.S. 18, 23-24 (1967)). The key question here is not whether the State
presented "sufficient evidence" for a reasonable jury to convict defendant absent
the unlawfully obtained statements. The standard here is whether we are "'able
to declare a belief that [the error] was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. '"
State v. McCloskey, 90 N.J. 18, 32 (1982) (quoting Chapman, 386 U.S. at 24).
Under the totality of these circumstances, we cannot so declare. Based on this
decision, we are not required to, and expressly do not reach defendant's
remaining argument attacking the validity of the sentence imposed by the trial
court.
VII
Defendant's conviction is reversed and the matter is remanded for a new
trial. We do not retain jurisdiction.
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