Corder v. Rogerson

After killing his stepmother and burning down the family home at age 16, James Corder (defendant) was tried as an adult after a juvenile court waived jurisdiction based on a probable cause finding made at an earlier detention hearing (in turn based on the probable cause supporting his arrest warrant), rather than on witness testimony at the waiver hearing itself; Corder, convicted of murder and arson, sought federal habeas relief arguing the waiver process denied him the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses.