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People v. Pica

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 5, 1990
159 A.D.2d 524 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)

Opinion

March 5, 1990

Appeal from the County Court, Suffolk County (Sherman, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant was indicted with Cheryl Pierson, a high school classmate, for the murder of her father. Following the denial of that branch of his omnibus motion which was to suppress certain oral and written statements he had made to the police, the defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree. At the plea allocution, the defendant admitted that he had agreed to kill Cheryl's father for a sum of money, that he had waited behind a tree on the Pierson property for the father to leave the house and then shot him five times with a rifle. The next day, Cheryl's boyfriend delivered $400 to him as payment on account for the murder. On appeal, the defendant contends that his statements to the police should have been suppressed because the police tactics employed during his arrest and interrogation isolated him from his parents and that the totality of the circumstances established that his statements were not voluntary. We find that the record fails to support the defendant's contentions and therefore affirm.

The defendant was five days short of his 17th birthday when he was arrested outside the house where he lived with his mother. The police were not under a statutory duty to notify the defendant's parents of his arrest (see, People v Crosby, 105 A.D.2d 844; CPL 140.20; 1.20 [42]). The arresting officer testified that he advised the defendant of his Miranda rights during the ride to the police station. The defendant said he was willing to talk to the police without a lawyer and denied any involvement in the crime. At the police station, the defendant was informed by Detective McCready, the investigating detective, that Cheryl and her boyfriend were under arrest. The defendant then confessed to the crime. Detective McCready testified that the defendant was again advised of his Miranda rights during the preparation of a written statement. At no time did the defendant ask to speak to his parents or to an attorney.

When a minor is residing in the home of his parents, "the police have an obligation to establish and maintain procedures so that the suspect is not deliberately or inadvertently held beyond the reach of his parent" (People v Rivera, 78 A.D.2d 556, 557). Conduct aimed at isolating a youthful suspect from his family or other supportive adults will not be tolerated (see, People v Hall, 125 A.D.2d 698). No evidence was offered, as in People v Rivera (supra), that the defendant's parents attempted to contact him at the police station. Inasmuch as the defendant did not ask to speak to his parents, we find that the claim of improper police procedures is without merit (see, People v Kircher, 134 A.D.2d 285). Furthermore, we find that, under the totality of the circumstances, the defendant's statements were voluntarily made.

The sentence imposed of 8 to 24 years was not excessive under the circumstances of this case (see, People v Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80).

We have considered the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be without merit. Lawrence, J.P., Rubin, Sullivan and Balletta, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Pica

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 5, 1990
159 A.D.2d 524 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
Case details for

People v. Pica

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. SEAN PICA, Appellant

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Mar 5, 1990

Citations

159 A.D.2d 524 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
552 N.Y.S.2d 391

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