United States v. Pedro Alvarez-sanchez (511 U.S. 350)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 2, 1994 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 511 U.S. 350 · 114 S. Ct. 1599
- Decided
- May 2, 1994
- Term
- October Term 1993
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Thomas
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Justice Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court. This case concerns the scope of 18 U. S. C. §3501, the statute governing the admissibility of confessions in federal prosecutions. Respondent contends that § 3501(c), which provides that a custodial confession made by a person within six hours following his arrest “shall not be inadmissible solely because of delay in bringing such person” before a federal magistrate, rendered inadmissible the custodial statement he made more than six hours after his arrest on state criminal charges. We conclude, however, that § 3501(c) does not apply to statements made by a person who is being held solely on state charges. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals. I On Friday, August 5, 1988, officers of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department obtained a warrant to search respondent’s residence for heroin and other evidence of narcotics distribution. While executing the warrant later that day, the officers discovered not only narcotics, but $2,260 in counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. Respondent was arrested and booked on state felony narcotics charges at approximately 5:40 p.m. He spent the weekend in custody. On Monday morning, August 8, the Sheriff’s Department informed the United States Secret Service of the counterfeit currency found in respondent’s residence. Two Secret Service agents arrived at the Sheriff’s Department…
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