United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Milton v. Wainwright, 407 U.S. 371 (1972)

Milton v. Wainwright

No. 70-5012

Argued January 12, 1972

Decided June 22, 1972

407 U.S. 371

Syllabus

Petitioner in this habeas corpus proceeding challenged on Fifth and Sixth Amendment grounds the introduction at his trial of a post-indictment, pretrial confession he made to a police officer posing as a fellow prisoner. The denial of habeas corpus relief is affirmed without reaching the merits of petitioner's claims; any possible error in the admission of the challenged confession was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt in light of three other unchallenged confessions and strong corroborative evidence of petitioner's guilt. Harrington v. California, 395 U. S. 250; Chapman v. California, 386 U. S. 18. Pp. 407 U. S. 372-378.

428 F.2d 463, affirmed.

BURGER, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which WHITE, BLACKMUN, POWELL, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. STEWART, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which DOUGLAS, BRENNAN, and MARSHALL, JJ., joined, post, p. 407 U. S. 378.