Hector v. State

Hector (defendant), an enslaved man, was beaten for most of a night by a group trying to force him to confess to a burglary. At one point during the beating, he said he would show them where the money was if released; hours later, another man who joined those beating him told Hector that if he had taken the money, he should confess, and Hector then confessed and led the group to his enslaver's house, though no money was ever found there. At trial, the judge allowed the jury to hear both of Hector's confessions, instructing jurors to credit whichever confessions they believed were freely and voluntarily given and to disregard any they believed were not.