The People of the State of New York v. Steven Townsend

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed Townsend's conviction, holding that his written confession was inadmissible because it was obtained after a continuous interrogation of a 17‑year‑old in which the police concealed his whereabouts from his mother, violating Miranda warnings and fundamental due‑process safeguards. A new trial was ordered, with the written confession excluded but the statements to his friend allowed.