United States v. Henry
United States Supreme Court
447 U.S. 264 (1980)
- Written by DeAnna Swearingen, LLM
Facts
Henry (defendant) was arrested for robbing a bank and taken to the Norfolk city jail. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents had a paid informant named Nichols inside the jail working on a contingency-fee basis. At trial, the informant testified about conversations with Henry about the robbery. The jury was never told that Nichols was a paid FBI informant. Henry was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison. After the appeal, Henry claimed to have learned that Nichols was a paid informant. Henry moved to have his sentence vacated under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 on the grounds that the government had used Nichols to violate Henry’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The motion was denied. The court of appeals reversed, holding that the statements Henry made to Nichols should have been suppressed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Burger, C.J.)
Dissent (Blackmun, J.)
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