People v. Sigal

Appeal from conviction of second degree murder. Once more an appellate court is requested to weigh admissibility of a confession to an unwitnessed murder against claims of police coercion used in producing the confession. Evidentiary use of an involuntary confession is a denial of due process of law, violating both federal and state Constitutions and requiring reversal of the conviction, even in the presence of independent corroborating evidence of guilt. {Lynumn v. Illinois, 372 U.S. 528 [83 S.Ct. 917, 9 L.Ed.2d 922]; Culombe v. Connecticut, 367 U.S. 568, 583-584 [81 S.Ct. 1860, 6 L.Ed.2d…