Does a promise of leniency render a statement involuntary?

A promise of leniency renders a statement involuntary only if the promise was "causally related" to the making of the statement. (See People v. Tully (2012) 54 Cal.4th 952, 985-986.) Because the detective's promise of leniency was made in return for information about a different crime, it did not motivate defendant's subsequent statements about the events at the White residence. There is no reason to suspect, and defendant does not argue, that he was confused about the nature of the offer of leniency. It was made by one detective expressly in return for information about a specific crime.

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