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United States v. Rigoberto Garcia
Citation: 21 F.3d 431Docket: 93-2846
Court: Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; April 28, 1994; Federal Appellate Court
The appeal concerns whether Rigoberto Garcia's statements made after his arrest should have been suppressed. Garcia claims he requested counsel, but the district court, after an evidentiary hearing, found no such request was made. The appellate court noted that Garcia's brief did not address this finding or argue its clear error, yet they considered the argument as a challenge to the finding. During the suppression hearing, the arresting officer indicated that Garcia did not explicitly request to speak with an attorney, although Garcia made ambiguous comments suggesting he would rather remain silent. The court interpreted these statements as a request to discontinue interrogation rather than a direct request for a lawyer, aligning with the precedent set in Edwards v. Arizona. Additionally, the court upheld the prosecutor's comments regarding Garcia's inconsistent statements to the police, clarifying that they did not violate established legal principles. The district court's determination of probable cause for the traffic stop was also affirmed, as was the appropriateness of the "ostrich instruction" in Garcia's case. Finally, the district judge's decision to deny a sentence reduction based on Garcia's role in the offense was deemed appropriate. The appellate court affirmed the district court's decisions across all points raised.