Mccarthy v. Hernandez

Questions presented

SCOTUS records

Questions presented

Opinion summary

Etalia.ai summary of the majority opinion

The Court held that the Second Circuit went beyond AEDPA’s limits when it granted habeas relief to Pedro Hernandez. Hernandez argued that the state trial court should have told the jury, in response to a note, that if his first confession was involuntary it also had to disregard later confessions under the rule he said came from Missouri v. Seibert. The Court said no clearly established federal law required such a jury instruction. Seibert addressed suppression by a judge, not a jury’s role, and the Federal Constitution does not require both judge and jury to decide admissibility or voluntariness. Because the Appellate Division’s decision did not contradict or unreasonably apply any holding of this Court, the Court granted the State’s petition, reversed the Second Circuit, and remanded.