LOS ANGELES : Murder Confession Was Coerced, Court Rules
A 1984 confession to a Los Angeles murder was illegally coerced by police who continued questioning a suspect after he had asked for a lawyer, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco entitles Guillermo Plascencia to a new trial unless a federal judge decides that Plascencia’s confession could not have influenced the jury’s verdict.
Plascencia, who acted as his own lawyer in the appeal, is serving 27 years to life in prison for the killing. The court gave no details of the crime.
The court said that Plascencia, then 22, was in the San Diego County Jail on unrelated charges in July, 1984, when Los Angeles police took him to their Hollywood station for questioning about a fatal shooting.
Plascencia said four times during the 20-minute interrogation that he wanted a lawyer. Officers continued questioning for 13 minutes after his first request, the court said.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
