Due Process & Voluntariness

Vocabulary flashcards based on criminal procedure lecture notes focusing on due process and voluntariness in interrogations.

Due Process Clauses (5A & 14A)

Guarantees voluntary confessions.

Self-Incrimination Clause (5A)

Related to Miranda rights.

Assistance of Counsel Clause (6A)

Related to Massiah.

Brown v. Mississippi

Landmark case demonstrating extreme coercion through physical violence to obtain confessions.

Ashcraft v. Tennessee

Case involving prolonged interrogation under coercive conditions, leading to a potentially involuntary confession.

Voluntariness (Key Rule)

The prosecution must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that a confession was voluntary.

Payne v. Arkansas

Confession obtained through threats of mob violence deemed inadmissible.

Spano v. New York

Confession deemed involuntary due to a combination of factors including the defendant's background, interrogation tactics, and denial of access to counsel.

Lisbena v. California

Confession deemed admissible even with prior offensive police conduct because the confession came 11 days later and was motivated by a co-conspirator's statement.

Totality of the Circumstances

Voluntariness under the Due Process Clause is determined by considering all relevant circumstances.

Arizona v. Fulminante

Confession coerced due to threats of violence from other inmates; court also addressed the issue of harmless error.

Colorado v. Connelly

Coercive police activity is a necessary predicate to finding a confession involuntary under the Due Process Clause; mental condition alone is not enough.

Frank Sterling Case

Example of a false confession obtained through suggestive interrogation techniques.

Voluntariness & Due Process (Summary)

Prosecution must prove, based on the totality of circumstances, that the defendant's will was not overborne by coercive law enforcement conduct.

Harmless Error

A legal error made by the trial court that does not contribute to the verdict obtained.