Colorado v. Connelly
Court limits when mental illness alone bars a confession, ruling federal due process requires police coercion and leaving states to decide evidentiary reliability and rules.
Summary
Background
A man who had been treated for chronic schizophrenia walked up to a Denver police officer and, without prompting, said he had killed someone and wanted to talk. The officer gave the usual warnings about the right to remain silent and to have a lawyer, and a detective later questioned the man, who guided officers to an apparent crime scene. Afterward the man became disoriented and said
Opinions in this case
- 1.Opinion 9430748
- 2.Opinion 9430749
- 3.Opinion 9430750
- 4.Opinion 9430751
- 5.Opinion 111779
Questions, answered
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