Challenging confessions before a plea
Premo v. Randy Joseph Moore
In brief
The Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit's order giving Moore relief and sent the case back, leaving him without the relief that court had ordered.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 8-0 · January 19, 2011 · Opinion by Justice Kennedy
- What it’s about
- Randy Moore argued that his lawyer should have asked the court to exclude his confession before he pleaded no contest to murder.
- Who it affects
- Moore was not entitled to the relief from imprisonment that the Ninth Circuit had ordered.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit’s order granting Moore relief in his challenge to his imprisonment and sent the case back (reversed and remanded), ruling he was not entitled to that relief.
Moore raised the confession issue in a federal challenge to his imprisonment after entering a no-contest plea to murder.
Question presented
Does a lawyer provide inadequate representation by failing to seek suppression of a client's confession before he pleads no contest to murder?
What the Court decided
Holding
Moore was not entitled to the habeas relief ordered by the Ninth Circuit. 574 F. 3d 1092, reversed and remanded.
- Result
- Reversed
The Court's reasoning
Justice Ginsburg agreed with the result for a different reason: she said Moore had not shown a reasonable chance that, if better informed, he would have rejected the plea and gone to trial.
The vote
What's next
The Ninth Circuit must take up the case again in light of the Supreme Court's ruling.
Documents
Opinions
Audio
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Audio Recording added: Oral Arguments - Premo
Opinion added: Premo
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.