Alabama v. Shelton

E57401

Alabama v. Shelton is a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court case that held a suspended sentence that may result in imprisonment cannot be imposed unless the defendant was afforded the right to counsel.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Supreme Court case
criminal procedure case
right to counsel case
clarifies scope of Sixth Amendment right to counsel for suspended sentences
hasAreaOfLaw constitutional law
criminal law
criminal procedure
hasArgumentDate January 8, 2002
hasCitation 122 S. Ct. 1764
152 L. Ed. 2d 888
535 U.S. 654
hasConcurrenceBy Anthony M. Kennedy NERFINISHED
hasConstitutionalProvision Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
hasCountry United States
hasCourt Supreme Court of the United States
hasDecisionDate May 20, 2002
hasDefendantStatus uncounseled defendant received a suspended jail sentence and probation
hasDissentBy Anthony M. Kennedy NERFINISHED
Antonin Scalia NERFINISHED
Clarence Thomas NERFINISHED
William H. Rehnquist
hasDocketNumber 00-1214
hasHolding A suspended sentence that may result in imprisonment may not be imposed unless the defendant was afforded the right to counsel.
The Sixth Amendment right to appointed counsel applies to a defendant given a suspended sentence that may lead to incarceration upon violation of probation.
hasImpact limits states’ ability to impose suspended sentences without providing counsel
hasJurisdiction federal
hasKeyPrinciple Actual imprisonment may not be imposed unless the defendant was provided counsel or validly waived counsel.
The right to counsel extends to cases where a suspended sentence may result in incarceration upon probation revocation.
hasLanguage English
hasLegalIssue Sixth Amendment
imprisonment
right to counsel
suspended sentence
hasMajorityJustices David H. Souter NERFINISHED
John Paul Stevens NERFINISHED
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sandra Day O’Connor
Stephen G. Breyer NERFINISHED
hasMajorityOpinionBy Ruth Bader Ginsburg
hasOpinionType majority opinion
hasPetitioner State of Alabama
hasPrecedentFor right to counsel in misdemeanor cases with suspended sentences
hasProceduralPosture review of decision of the Supreme Court of Alabama
hasRelatedCase Argersinger v. Hamlin
Scott v. Illinois
hasRespondent LeRoy Shelton
hasStateCourt Supreme Court of Alabama
hasTimePeriod Rehnquist Court
hasVote 5-4

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Gideon v. Wainwright
precedentFor

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