Bruton v. United States

391 U.S. 123 (1968)

Purchase the Printed Copy at bsmsphd.com

Nature of the Case

To access this section all you need to do is click here and register.

Facts

This was a joint trial. A postal inspector testified at trial that Evans (D) orally confessed to him that D and Bruton (D1) committed armed robbery. The postal inspector obtained the oral confession and another in which D admitted he had an accomplice who he would not name. Ds were convicted and appealed. D's conviction was set aside on the ground that his oral confession should not have been received as evidence against him. D1's conviction was upheld because the trial court had given limiting instructions in that the confession was inadmissible hearsay against D1 and it was to be ignored. D1 appealed.