Page:Brief for the United States, Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471 (1963).djvu/56

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

50

when there had been an interval of time in which to consider whether to disclose his suppliers—an interval of time in which to make an independent voluntary determination as to cooperation or non-cooperation with the officers.

As for the full confessions of the petitioners, which were wholly voluntary and made after arraignment, they were clearly admissible under the well settled rule, noted supra (pp. 41–43), that a later voluntary confession is admissible even if the arrest was illegal.


III

Petitioners' Confessions Were Corroborated By Substantial Additional Evidence

Petitioners' confessions, as we will point out in detail below, showed that they transported heroin on or about June 1. The independent testimony of the officers showed the delivery of 27 grams of heroin to them by Yee at Yee's house, and showed petitioner Toy's detailed familiarity with the location of Yee's room in the house and even the usual tine for the departure of Yee's mother from the house (R. 63–64). In addition, Yee—in other respects a recalcitrant witness—confirmed his acquaintance with both petitioners Wong Sun and Toy (R. 20). He also testified to an earlier, corroborating statement to the officers, made under oath, that Wong Sun and Toy had come to his house on June 1, prior to midnight, and on June 3, between 11 p. m. and midnight, but he alleged at the trial that his earlier statement had been false (R. 29–30). Taken together, these items of