Smith v. State

OPINION

COATS, Chief Judge.

Ruple Marx Smith was convicted of kidnapping and raping a fourteen-year-old girl. 1 A key part of the evidence against Smith at trial was incriminating admissions that he made to a state trooper. Smith appealed to this court raising several issues, including a contention that the admissions he made to the state trooper had been obtained in violation of his Miranda 2 rights. In a split deci sion, this court concluded that Smith was in custody when the state trooper questioned him about the kidnapping and sexual assault and that, because the state trooper had not…