Milton v. Wainwright
Supreme Court of the United States
Milton v. Wainwright, Corrections Director
Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
No. 70-5012. Argued: January 12, 1972 --- Decided: June 22, 1972
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. 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. 378.
Neil P. Rutledge, by appointment of the Court, 403 U.S. 951, argued the cause and filed a brief for petitioner.
J. Robert Olian, Assistant Attorney General of Florida, argued the cause forrespondent pro hac vice. With him on the brief was Robert L. Shevin, Attorney General.