The Supreme Court reinstated a murder conviction for Pedro Hernandez, who worked at a convenience shop, in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz, overriding a federal appeals court decision that had cited procedural flaws in his 2017 trial. This decision, reached by a 6-3 vote, reinforces the state's power to secure convictions, even as Hernandez's lawyers maintain his innocence and point to his mental illness and the conditions of his confession.
State Power Affirmed
The justices, in an unsigned opinion, agreed that federal courts should not "second-guess state courts" under a 1996 federal law. This statute was intended to reduce federal court oversight of state criminal trials, effectively streamlining the judicial process and limiting avenues for appeal. The Supreme Court stated, "The Second Circuit exceeded its authority in holding that Hernandez is entitled to relief," thereby consolidating the authority of state judicial machinery.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, hailed the high court’s decision. Bragg called the appeals court's basis for overturning the conviction "a slender reed," focusing on the "peace of mind" for the Patz family. The three liberal justices dissented from the majority opinion, but their opposition was insufficient to prevent the reinstatement of the conviction, demonstrating the limits of dissent within the state apparatus.
The Cost to the Accused
Hernandez, 64, has been serving a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. His lawyers, Harvey Fishbein and Alice Fontier, stated they were "terribly disappointed" by the ruling. They declared, "We firmly believe that an innocent man is in jail for a crime that he did not commit."
The defense emphasized that Hernandez made his admission to police after detectives queried him for about seven hours before reading him his rights and recording the interview. His lawyers contend he confessed falsely due to a mental illness that sometimes caused him to hallucinate. Hernandez worked at a nearby convenience shop at the time of Etan Patz's disappearance in 1979.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had unanimously reversed Hernandez’ murder and kidnapping conviction because of how the judge had answered a question from jurors during the 2017 trial. Jurors had asked if they must disregard other confessions if they decided Hernandez didn’t confess voluntarily when he hadn’t been read his rights yet. The then-judge responded simply, "the answer is no." The appeals court determined that the jury’s question should have received a more comprehensive answer, including the possibility of discounting all confessions. This procedural issue, which raised questions about the integrity of the conviction, was ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court's decision to limit federal oversight.
Etan Patz vanished while walking to his downtown Manhattan school bus stop on May 25, 1979, now the 47th year since the event. His disappearance led to him being among the first missing children ever to appear on milk cartons, and the anniversary of his disappearance became National Missing Children’s Day. This public prominence likely intensified pressure on the state to secure a conviction, reinforcing the state's interest in maintaining public order and confidence in its punitive systems.
Prosecutors had been preparing to try Pedro Hernandez for a third time, with his retrial expected to start in September. Manhattan DA Bragg stated prosecutors would await guidance from appellate judges and the state trial court regarding next steps, indicating the ongoing expenditure of state resources on the case.