Opinion ID: 2402568
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Cases Against Shelly

Text: In addition to claiming that his confession should not have been admitted in evidence because the arrest was illegal and because he was confronted with illegally seized evidence, this appellant contends that his confession was obtained as the result of a promise and that the totality of the circumstances rendered the confession inadmissible. The information received from Griffin and Bethea constituted reasonable probable cause for the police to believe that Shelly had participated in some of the robberies. See Mefford and Blackburn v. State, supra ; State v. Jackson, supra . In any event, even if the arrest were illegal, this, as was stated in the cases against Griffin and Bethea, would not in itself preclude the admission in evidence of the subsequent confession, the making of which, under the facts and circumstances, appears to have been a voluntary act. On the one hand, there was the testimony of the police officers that no promises or inducements were made in order to obtain the confession. On the other hand, Shelly testified that he got the impression that he would be allowed to return to the army if he confessed and claims that the police promised to see that he was given that privilege. While the record shows that Shelly and the police officers discussed his army career, there is nothing to show that an actual promise was made and that he confessed in reliance thereon. Nor is there anything in the totality of the circumstances to render the confession inadmissible. On the evidence produced, we cannot say that the trial court erred in finding that the confession was voluntary and therefore admissible. Abbott v. State, supra . For the reasons stated, the judgments of conviction in the cases against Jones, Griffin, Bethea and Shelly will be affirmed. Judgments against McChan reversed and cases remanded for new trials; the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to pay the costs. Judgments against Jones, Griffin, Bethea and Shelly affirmed.