State v. Medenbach

The state appeals from a pretrial ruling of the district court suppressing certain recorded statements made by defendant to a police officer at the time defendant was stopped for erratic driving. The court held the evidence inadmissible because 1) defendant had indicated his desire not to talk to the officer, and 2) the officer had told defendant that if defendant did not cooperate the officer would arrest him and take him to jail.

The essential facts presented at the pretrial hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress were as follows:

Following the stop, the officer advised defendant that their…