Last week a flurry of attention was again brought on the accused killer of Hailey Owens, Craig Michael Wood. This time, it was because his attorneys have now filed a Motion to Suppress his statements to police. Motions to Suppress are frequently filed and are essentially asking the court not to consider certain pieces of evidence in reaching their conclusion, or to keep certain pieces of evidence from being presented to a jury. Wood’s attorneys are asking for such relief, in part, because of what they believe is a violation of his Miranda Rights. What many people do not understand is that Miranda does not apply to every single arrest. Most people believe that immediately when a person is arrested, they must be given their Miranda warnings by police. That’s not actually true. Miranda only applies when there is a custodial interrogation. What this means is that if someone has been arrested, they must be given their Miranda warnings only before police begin to ask them incriminating questions. If police are simply arresting someone and transporting them to jail, Miranda is not required. Then, if the suspect makes unsolicited incriminating statements, those statements are admissible in Court.
Attorney Adam Woody was asked by the local CBS and ABC affiliates, KOLR10 and KSPR, to provide insight into the legal basis and motivation for filing Motions to Suppress statements. This case has gained regional and national attention as well, as Adam was featured on a telecast on KCTV5 in Kansas City. This case is no doubt polarizing and the facts are everyone’s worst nightmare, but Wood’s attorneys and the prosecutors on the case alike are doing everything they can to ensure that justice is served for everyone involved.