What amendment protects against coerced confessions?

The Fifth Amendment is significant in protecting individuals from coerced confessions, primarily through its provision against self-incrimination. This amendment ensures that no person "shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself," which encompasses a broad protection against interrogation tactics that might force someone to confess to a crime involuntarily.

Coercion can take many forms, including physical duress, psychological pressure, or deceptive practices by law enforcement. The courts have recognized that confessions obtained through such means lack the voluntariness necessary for them to be admissible as evidence. Thus, the Fifth Amendment's safeguard is essential in maintaining the integrity of the legal process, ensuring that confessions reflect an individual's true willingness to admit guilt rather than a result of coercion.

While the other amendments provide important rights related to searches and seizures, the right to counsel, and cruel and unusual punishment, they do not specifically address the issue of coerced confessions in the way that the Fifth Amendment does.