Anderson v. United States, 318 U.S. 350 (1943)

Anderson v. United States

No. 10

Argued October 21, 22, 1942
Decided March 1, 1943
318 U.S. 350

CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF

APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

Syllabus

1. The circumstances (detailed in the opinion) under which confessions were obtained from defendants in this case rendered the confessions inadmissible in evidence in a criminal prosecution in the federal court, and convictions resting upon such evidence must be set aside. McNabb v. United States, ante, p. 332. P. 355.

2. The detention of the defendants by state officers in this case was in violation of a statute of Tennessee which provides that "No person can be committed to prison for any criminal matter, until explanation thereof be first had before some magistrate." P. 355.

3. That federal officers themselves were not formally guilty of illegal conduct in this case does not make admissible the evidence which they secured improperly through collaboration with state officers. P. 356.

4. The admission in evidence of the confessions of certain of the defendants in this case held to have vitiated the convictions of all, since the jury, in ascertaining the guilt or innocence of each, was warranted, by the trial court’s charge, in considering the whole proof made at the trial. P. 356.

124 F.2d 58 reversed.

Certiorari, 316 U.S. 651, to review the affirmance of convictions of conspiracy to damage property of a corporation in which the United States was a stockholder.