Ketchings v. Jackson

Robert Henry Ketchings Jr. was tried by a jury in a Michigan state court and convicted of second-degree murder, assault with intent to inflict great bodily harm less than murder, intentional discharge of a firearm at a dwelling, and the use of a firearm in a felony. The charges arose from Ketchingss involvement in a drive-by shooting in Detroit. After exhausting his state-court remedies, Ketchings petitioned the district court for a writ of habeas corpus. He argued, among other things, that the length of his sentence was unlawfully extended because of his refusal to admit that he was guilty of the offenses for which he was convicted. Ketchings contended that his sentence was therefore imposed in violation of his right against self-incrimination, a right enshrined in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.