Colorado v. Connelly (1986)
- Docket
- 85-660
- Decided
- 1986-01-01
Summary
Question: Did the taking of Connelly's statements as evidence violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? Conclusion: The Court held that because the taking of Connelly's statements as evidence did not involve any element of governmental coercion, no violation of the Due Process Clause occurred. The Court argued that suppressing statements in cases where suspects were not coerced would have no deterrent effect on future violations of the Constitution by the police. The Court noted that "Miranda protects defendants against government coercion leading them to surrender rights protected by the Fifth Amendment; it goes no further than that."