Michigan v. Mosley case brief

Michigan v. Mosley case brief summary
423 U.S. 96 (1975)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Defendant was convicted of first degree murder based in part on a confession that defendant entered after interrogation. The Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the conviction and determined that the trial court should have suppressed the confession. The prosecution sought review. A writ of certiorari was granted.

CASE FACTS
Defendant was arrested in connection with the investigation of robberies. After being advised of his rights, defendant stated that he did not want to talk about the robberies. Defendant was thereafter questioned at another police station about a homicide and confessed to the murder. The trial court denied a request to suppress the confession. Defendant was convicted of first degree murder based in part on his confession. The Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the conviction and determined that the trial court should have suppressed the confession.

DISCUSSION

• The Supreme Court vacated and remanded the lower court's decision because the right to remain silent encompassed within the Miranda rights was not a right to permanently remain silent, but was a right that had to be scrupulously honored by the police. 
• The Court concluded that when the questioning was for different crimes, by a different police officer, in a different station, after an extended period without questioning, the request to remain silent had been scrupulously honored.

CONCLUSION

The court vacated and remanded the decision that reversed the conviction of defendant for first degree murder because the police scrupulously honored defendant's request to remain silent about the subject of questioning and thereafter questioned him about other crimes for which he did not request to remain silent.

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