Supreme Court reinstates Etan Patz murder conviction in high-profile case

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, reinstated Pedro Hernandez’s murder conviction in the Etan Patz case, reversing a Second Circuit decision that had voided the verdict over a jury instruction about an involuntary confession. The Court held that federal habeas relief cannot overturn a valid state-court conviction based on such questions about confession reliability. Hernandez’s lawyers expressed disappointment, while Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg praised the decision.