State v. Melendez

OPINION

FELDMAN, Chief Justice.

Ruben Melendez (Defendant) was indicted for first degree murder for the 1987 killing of a fellow inmate at the Arizona State Prison in Tucson. Before trial, the trial court granted a number of Defendant’s suppression motions, including a motion to suppress communications made to another inmate who had served as one of Defendant’s “jailhouse lawyers” in preparation for a prison disciplinary proceeding arising from the killing. The state appealed. The court of appeals reversed the trial court’s suppression order, State v. Melendez, 168 Ariz. 275, 277-78, 812 P.2d…