Ruling restricts court power to intervene in interrogations

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s Supreme Court has restricted the authority of courts to intervene in police interrogations.

The ruling comes in a case dealing with the questioning of a man as part of an investigation into his mother’s death.

Based on a state criminal procedure rule, a circuit judge halted the questioning of Samuel Terrell until he was allowed access to a public defender.

The state Court of Appeals upheld the decision, but the Supreme Court reversed it on Thursday.

In his opinion, Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. says that except for search warrants, courts don’t have general jurisdiction over criminal matters until the prosecution of the accused begins. He says prosecution begins with the issuance of a criminal citation, arrest warrant, criminal summons or indictment.

The ruling drew a dissent from Justice Michelle Keller.

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