Supreme Court of the United States
Leyra v. Denno
June 1, 1954347 U.S. 556
Summary
The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s denial of petitioner's habeas corpus petition, holding that the later confessions obtained after an involuntary psychiatric confession were inadmissible because they were part of a continuous coercive process, violating the Fourteenth Amendment’s due‑process clause. Justice Minton’s dissent argued that the jury could properly assess the voluntariness of the later confessions and that the majority’s rule was unsupported.
Holding
- Whether the later confessions, given after an involuntary psychiatric confession, were admissible, and whether their admission violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s due‑process clause.. The later confessions were inadmissible; the denial of habeas relief was erroneous; petitioner's conviction violated due process.
Docket 635