The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Charles Huntley, Appellant, 15 N.Y.2d 72

Summary

Defendant was convicted of robbery in the first degree and was given a prison sentence. At trial, defendant's complete confession was put before the jury. The voluntary character of the confession was explored at voir dire examination and submitted to the jury as a question of fact. The appellate division affirmed. Withholding determination of defendant's appeal, the court remitted the case. The court worked out, without benefit of controlling law, a tentative appropriate procedure for providing a separate hearing as to the voluntariness of the confession received in evidence against defendant at his trial. The court directed that in all cases previously tried and concluded and in which confessions were introduced and their voluntariness contested, and the normal appellate processes had been exhausted or were no longer available, defendants were to seek Jackson-Denno relief by coram nobis motion. The court held, among other things, that a trial judge had to find voluntariness beyond a ...