Watts v. Indiana
United States Supreme Court
338 U.S. 49 (1949)
Relevant factsFree
After Watts (defendant) was arrested and a murder victim's body was found, police subjected him to solitary confinement and rotating-shift interrogations running into the early morning hours over five days, including hours of being driven around town, without counsel, without being advised of his rights, and without a preliminary hearing, until he confessed on the final day; state courts upheld his conviction, and the Supreme Court reviewed alongside similar cases from other states.
IssueFree
Whether police procedures that elicit a confession by subjecting a defendant to physical or emotional distress violate constitutional due process.