Oregon v. Bradshaw

James Edward Bradshaw (defendant) was arrested in connection with a car accident in which a boy died. Bradshaw initially denied involvement in the accident; he was then informed of his Miranda rights and invoked his right to counsel. At this point, officers stopped questioning Bradshaw. Later, while Bradshaw was being transferred from the police station to the jail, he asked a police officer, “Well, what is going to happen to me now?” The officer reminded Bradshaw that he had invoked his right to counsel and told Bradshaw that the officer did not want him to talk unless it was an exercise of free will. Bradshaw said he understood, and the two had a conversation in which the officer suggested that Bradshaw help himself by taking a polygraph. Bradshaw agreed to do so. The next day, Bradshaw signed a waiver of his Miranda rights and took a polygraph test. At the end of the test, the examiner told Bradshaw that he did not believe Bradshaw was telling the truth. Bradshaw then confessed to driving drunk and causing the accident that killed the boy. At trial, Bradshaw moved to suppress his confession. The trial court denied his motion, and Bradshaw was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and other charges. The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed Bradshaw’s conviction, holding that the confession should have been excluded from evidence because it was obtained in violation of his rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.