Is a five-minute conversation with a girlfriend sufficient to induce a murder confession?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Morris, 279 Cal.Rptr. 720, 53 Cal.3d 152, 807 P.2d 949 (Cal. 1991):

[53 Cal.3d 201] The officers expressly disclaimed any promises of leniency and told defendant they had no authority to make decisions about charges that would be prosecuted in California. Defendant cites no authority that would support a holding that a five-minute talk with a girlfriend is a sufficient "inducement" to render a murder confession involuntary. Such an ephemeral benefit cannot reasonably be regarded as sufficient to cause a person to admit against his will the killing of another human being. (See People v. Hendricks (1987) 43 Cal.3d 584, 591, 238 Cal.Rptr. 66, 737 P.2d 1350 [providing accused person with whiskey and Bible did not improperly induce him to confess]; People v. Thompson, supra, 27 Cal.3d at pp. 327-328, 165 Cal.Rptr. 289, 611 P.2d 883 [accused person's hope that his statement would result in release of his girlfriend was self-motivated and did not induce his confession].)

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