State v. Owens

The issue in this case is whether the defendant’s confession to armed robberies was prompted by an alleged coercive promise made by the interrogating officer and therefore involuntarily made.

There is no question that the defendant was offered a promise before he confessed. The state contends he was told that all of the armed robberies to which he confessed would be consolidated into a single proceeding in one county. The defendant does not contend that such a promise would be sufficiently coercive to render his confession involuntary.

The defendant argues that a promise of significantly more…