Convictions following the admission into evidence of…
“Convictions following the admission into evidence of confessions which are involuntary, i.e., the product of coercion, either physical or psychological, cannot stand. This is so not because such confessions are unlikely to be true but because the methods used to extract them offend an underlying principle in the enforcement of our criminal law: that ours is an accusatorial, and not an inquisitorial, system - a system in which the State must establish guilt by evidence independently and freely secured, and may not, by coercion, prove its charges against an accused out of his own mouth.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Involuntary confessions are inadmissible because they violate the accusatorial principle that the state must prove guilt without coercion.
In simple terms: Coerced confessions are invalid.
Key Takeaway
Reject evidence obtained by coercion.
Themes
legal fairness
due process
rights
evidence
justice
Mood
serious
principled
Type
legal
judicial
When to use this quote
- criminal trials
- police interrogations
- court rulings
- defense strategy
Key Concepts
coercion
accusatorial system
constitutional law
Questions to Reflect On
- Can a confession be trustworthy if obtained under duress?
- How does this principle protect the innocent?
A Different Perspective
Such confessions may still be true, but the method undermines legitimacy.