New York Court of Appeals
The People of the State of New York v. Victor Casassa
April 1, 198049 N.Y.2d 668
Summary
The Court affirmed the conviction for second‑degree murder, holding that the defendant did not satisfy the statutory affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance, that his confession was voluntarily given, and that his right to counsel was not violated by police conduct. The Court interpreted the statutory reasonableness test as a hybrid of subjective and objective factors and found the defendant's explanation unreasonably peculiar. The appellate court also rejected the defendant's claims regarding involuntary confession and counsel deprivation.