Oregon v. Elstad

470 U.S. 298 (1985)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

A house was burglarized. A witness contacted the sheriff's office, implicating Elstad (D). Officers Burke and McAllister went to D's house with a warrant for his arrest. Burke sat down with D in the living room, and without telling him that he had a warrant for his arrest, stated that he 'felt' that D was involved in the burglary. D replied, 'Yes, I was there.' D was transported to headquarters. An hour later, McAllister, in the presence of Burke, advised D of his Miranda rights for the first time. D agreed to talk and signed a statement. The trial judge excluded the remark D made in his living room but admitted the statement made at the sheriff's office. D was convicted. The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed, stating that there wasn't a sufficient break in the stream of events between the inadmissible statement in the living room and the written confession in the sheriff's office. The State (P) appealed.