Ballard v. State

The present case calls upon us to explore the contours of the right to counsel during custodial interrogation, which the Supreme Court recognized in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 479, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). It is undisputed that Petitioner Warren Lee Ballard received proper Miranda warnings and validly waived his Miranda rights before interrogation began. The question we must answer is whether, mid-way through the interrogation, Petitioner unequivocally invoked his right to counsel when he uttered the words, “You mind if I not say no more and just talk to an attorney about…