Colorado v. Connelly
| Colorado v. Francis Connelly | |
|---|---|
| Argued October 8, 1986 Decided December 10, 1986 | |
| Full case name | Colorado v. Francis Barry Connelly |
| Docket no. | 85-660 |
| Citations | 479 U.S. 157 (more) 107 S. Ct. 515; 93 L. Ed. 2d 473 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | People v. Connelly, 702 P.2d 722 (Colo. 1985); cert. granted, 474 U.S. 1050 (1986). |
| Holding | |
| As Connelly was not coerced by the police to divulge any information, his confession was voluntary, and there was no violation of the Due Process Clause. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Rehnquist, joined by White, Powell, O'Connor, Scalia; Blackmun (except Part III–A) |
| Concurrence | Blackmun |
| Concur/dissent | Stevens |
| Dissent | Brennan, joined by Marshall |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. Amend. XIV | |
Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157 (1986), was a U.S. Supreme Court case that was initiated by Francis Connelly, who insisted that his schizophrenic episode rendered him incompetent, nullifying his waiver of his Miranda rights.
In Justice Brennan's dissent, he argued that this constituted an involuntary confession and that it violated a ''fundamental right to make a vital choice with a sane mind, involving a determination that could allow the state to deprive him of liberty or even life.''