In Davis v. North Carolina, the U.S. Supreme Court examined whether a confession obtained after prolonged detention and questioning was voluntary or coerced, thus violating the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause. The case involved Junius Davis who was convicted of rape in North Carolina based largely on his own confession to police officers following 16 days of confinement and repeated interrogations without legal counsel present. The court found that under these circumstances, there were significant indications that his will had been overborne by pressure from law enforcement officials which made his confession involuntary and therefore inadmissible as evidence against him at trial. Consequently, the court reversed Davis' conviction ruling it unconstitutional because it violated principles of fairness under the Due Process Clause.

In the dissenting opinion for Davis v. North Carolina, 1965, it was argued that the majority's decision to overturn Davis' conviction based on a coerced confession undermined state courts and law enforcement agencies. The dissenters believed that there was no clear evidence of coercion or violation of due process rights in obtaining Davis' confession. They contended that the circumstances surrounding his arrest and interrogation were not inherently coercive nor did they exceed acceptable bounds set by previous Supreme Court rulings regarding police conduct during interrogations. Furthermore, they held that any psychological pressure exerted upon him fell within permissible limits as he had been informed about his right to remain silent and consult an attorney before making any statements. They also pointed out inconsistencies in Davis’ testimony which cast doubt on its credibility while emphasizing the fact-finding role of trial judges who are better positioned than appellate justices to evaluate such matters.