State of Tennessee v. Charles Wayne Sawyer

Case Number
M2001-01062-CCA-R9-CO

A Marshall County grand jury indicted the defendant, Charles Wayne Sawyer, for aggravated sexual battery. The defendant filed a motion to suppress a statement that he allegedly made to the police without first being advised of his rights under Miranda. He made the alleged statement in response to a police officer's reading of the affidavit of complaint supporting his arrest warrant. The trial court, after conducting an evidentiary hearing, granted the defendant's motion to suppress his statement, finding that the reading of the affidavit was the functional equivalent of interrogation and therefore should have been prefaced by an admonishment of the defendant's constitutional rights. The state, with the trial court's permission, filed an interlocutory appeal, and pursuant to the state's Rule 9 application, this Court agreed to review the state's appeal. After reviewing the evidentiary hearing and other materials presented to this Court, we find that the trial court properly suppressed the defendant's statement and therefore affirm the judgment below.

Authoring Judge
Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge
Judge W. Charles Lee
Case Name
State of Tennessee v. Charles Wayne Sawyer
Date Filed
Dissent or Concur
No
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