Collins v. Gaetz

Dist. Ct. did not err in denying defendant's habeas petition challenging his murder conviction on ground that trial court erred in admitting defendant's confession where defendant asserted that his 60 IQ and organic brain damage prevented him from making valid waiver of his Miranda rights prior to giving of said confession. While record contained conflict among experts as to whether defendant fully understood ramifications of his Miranda waiver, state courts could properly have found that defendant understood enough of police and prosecutor's warnings to satisfy Miranda requirements where defendant was able to understand and explain meaning of premeditated murder and gave accurate example on his right to remain silent, and where defendant initially lied to investigators about his role in murder. Ct. further noted that defendant never asserted that confession was coerced.