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Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968)
Bruton v. United States No. 705 Argued March 11, 1968 Decided May 20, 1968 391 U.S. 123
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
Syllabus
A joint trial of petitioner and one Evans resulted in the convictions of both for armed postal robbery. Evans did not take the stand, but a postal inspector testified that Evans confessed orally that he and petitioner committed the robbery. The trial judge instructed the jury that, although Evans’ confession was competent evidence against him it was inadmissible hearsay against petitioner and had to be disregarded in determining petitioner’s guilt or innocence. Evans and petitioner both appealed to the Court of Appeals. That court set aside Evans’ conviction on the ground that the oral confession should not have been received against him, but affirmed petitioner’s conviction in view of the trial judge’s instructions, relying on Delli Paoli v. United States, 352 U.S. 232.
Held: Because of the substantial risk that the jury, despite instructions to the contrary, looked to the incriminating extrajudicial statements in determining petitioner’s guilt, admission of Evans’ confession in the joint trial violated petitioner’s right of cross-examination secured by the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment. Delli Paoli v. United States, supra, overruled. Pp. 126-137.
375 F.2d 355, reversed.
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Chicago:
U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968) in 391 U.S. 123 Original Sources, accessed November 3, 2025, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GSISJVBP5RIX8MW.
MLA:
U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968), in 391 U.S. 123, Original Sources. 3 Nov. 2025. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GSISJVBP5RIX8MW.
Harvard:
U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968). cited in 1968, 391 U.S. 123. Original Sources, retrieved 3 November 2025, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GSISJVBP5RIX8MW.
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