6th  Amendment  Essay  Outline    1. The  issue  is:  ……  

 2. Text:  

• In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  have  the  assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense.  

 3. Have  adversarial  formal  criminal  prosecutions  commenced:  

• If  NO,  then  it  is  not  a  6th  amendment  problem.    

• If  YES,  then  go  to  next  question.      4. Is  there  deliberate  elicitation?    

• Deliberate  elicitation  is  a  subjective  test.  o If  NO,  stop  it  is  not  a  6th  amendment.  

 o If  YES,  then  go  to  next  question.    

 5. Did  the  defendant  knowingly,  intelligently  and  voluntarily  waive  the  6th  

amendment  right  to  counsel?    • If  the  defendant  invokes  the  right  to  counsel,  the  interrogation  must  stop  

until  the  defendant’s  counsel  is  present.    

• If  the  defendant  waives  the  right  to  counsel,  the  waiver  must  be  knowing,  intelligent  and  voluntary  without  any  deliberate  elicitation  from  law  enforcement.  

o A  knowing  and  intelligent  waiver  is  made  with  full  awareness  of  both  the  nature  of  the  right  being  abandoned  and  the  consequences  of  the  decision  to  abandon  it.  

! A  waiver  cannot  be  deemed  knowing  and  intelligent  unless  the  police  issued  proper  Miranda  warnings.    

o A  voluntary  waiver  is  the  product  of  a  free  and  deliberate  choice  rather  than  intimidation,  coercion,  or  deception.  

 

6. The  6th  amendment  right  to  counsel  is  offense  specific:  • The  defendant  is  protected  from  deliberate  elicitation  from  law  enforcement  

pertaining  to  the  charge  on  which  he  was  charged,  plus  on  any  charges  which  have  the  same  statutory  elements  or  is  a  lesser-­‐included  offense  after  the  right  to  counsel  is  invoked.      

• If  the  charges  each  require  proof  of  at  least  one  element  that  the  other  charge  does  not,  then  the  defendant  is  NOT  protected  from  deliberate  elicitation  on  that  charge  unless  he  invokes  the  6th  amendment  right  to  counsel  on  that  charge  as  well.  

 7. What  is  the  6th  amendment  right  to  counsel,  impeachment  rule:  

• Statements  secured  in  violation  of  the  6th  amendment  may  be  used  for  impeachment  purposes  in  only  a  limited  context.    

o If  the  police  initiate  conversation  with  an  accused  who  has  requested  counsel,  any  incriminating  statements  the  defendant  makes  may  be  used  for  impeachment  if  the  accused  subsequently  waived  the  right,  despite  the  fact  that  the  improper  police  conduct  precludes  admission  of  the  statements  as  part  of  the  prosecution’s  direct  case.  

 8. Does  the  Fruit-­‐Of-­‐The-­‐Poisonous-­‐Tree  Doctrine  apply  to  6th  amendment  

right  to  counsel  violations:  • YES.  The  fruit-­‐of-­‐the-­‐poisonous-­‐tree  doctrine  applies  to  violations  of  the  6th  

amendment  right  to  counsel.    

9. The  6th  amendment  right  to  counsel  attaches  for  identifications  after  formal  proceedings  have  commenced:  • An  accused  has  a  6th  amendment  right  to  have  counsel  present  at  any  

corporeal  identification  procedure  conducted  after  the  commencement  of  an  adversary  judicial  criminal  proceeding  against  him.  

 

10. What  is  the  difference  between  In-­‐Court  Identification  &  Out-­‐Of-­‐  Court  Identifications?  • In-­‐  Court  Identifications  are  presumed  to  be  inadmissible  unless  the  

government  can  show,  by  CLEAR  AND  CONVINCING  EVIDENCE,  that  there  was  an  independent  source.    o Factors:    

! Witness’s  opportunity  to  observe  defendant;    ! Any  discrepancies  between  victim’s  description  and  the  defendant;    ! Any  prior  identifications  of  other  people;  ! Seeing  pictures  of  defendant  prior  to  line-­‐up;    ! Time  between  offense  and  line-­‐up.  

 • Out-­‐Of-­‐Court  Identifications    conducted  without  counsel  present,  are  deemed  

to  be  inadmissible  and  are  automatically  suppressed.  o Photo  Array  Exception:  

! The  6th  amendment  only  attaches  if  it  is  an  IN-­‐PERSON  line-­‐up.    ! Photo  arrays  can  be  shown  without  counsel  present  because  it  is  not  

critical  stage  of  the  formal  criminal  proceeding.