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Short Crimpro Barbri
Short Crimpro Barbri
APPROACH TO EXAMS
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
IN A NUTSHELL: The study of Criminal Procedure, for the most part, is the study of protections
given by the Constitution (as interpreted by the Supreme Court) to persons accused of committing
crimes. Since most constitutional restrictions on governmental power apply by their terms only to the
federal government, constitutional criminal protections are applicable to the states only if the Su-
preme Court finds that they are part of the due process owed by states to citizens under the Fourteenth
Amendment. In addition to the rights specified in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has made a
few rules of its own to ensure the specified rights are protected. Two such judge-made rules are the
focus of many law school classes—the exclusionary rule and the Miranda rule. The exclusionary
rule generally prohibits the introduction at trial of evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth, Fifth,
or Sixth Amendments. Miranda generally prohibits introduction at trial of statements obtained from
people through interrogation while in police custody unless they are first informed of various rights
and warned of consequences of waiving those rights.
c) In plain view
4) Consent (from one with apparent right to use or occupy property)
a) If suspect present, may overrule consent
b) Parent usually has authority to consent to search of
child’s room if parent has access
5) Stop and frisk
a) During valid Terry stop (see above)
b) Police have reasonable belief that detainee is armed and
dangerous
c) May patdown outer clothing for weapons
d) May seize anything that by plain feel is weapon or
contraband
6) Hot pursuit of a fleeing felon
7) Evanescent evidence (i.e., evidence likely to disappear before
warrant can be obtained, such as tissues from under a suspect’s
fingernails)
8) Emergency aid/community caretaker exception (i.e., search
justified by threats to health or safety)
9) Inventory searches incident to arrest
a) Valid if pursuant to established police department procedure
10) Public school searches by school officials valid if reasonable:
a) Offers moderate chance of finding evidence of wrong-
doing
b) Implemented through means reasonably related to objec-
tives of the search
c) Search not excessively intrusive
11) Mandatory drug testing—has been upheld when it serves a
special need beyond the needs of law enforcement
a) High school students in extracurriculars
b) Government employees with access to drugs
12) Border searches—warrantless searches broadly upheld to protect
sovereignty
II. WAS CONFESSION VALIDLY OBTAINED?
A. Was Due Process Violated—Involuntary Confession?
1. Judged by a totality of the circumstances
2. Government compulsion makes confession involuntary
3. Harmless error test applies if involuntary confession erroneously admitted into
evidence
B. Was Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel Violated?
1. Applies at all critical stages of the prosecution
2. Attaches when adversary judicial proceedings are begun
3. Offense specific—pertains to only one charge and defendant must ask again if
later charged with separate, unrelated crime
4. Waivable—must be knowing and voluntary
5. Remedy— if defendant was denied his right at trial, automatic reversal
(harmless error rule applies as to nontrial proceedings)
4. APPROACH TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
D. Pretrial Identifications
1. Sixth Amendment right to counsel applies at any post-charge lineup or showup
a. Photo identifications—no Sixth Amendment right
2. Due process standard—unnecessarily suggestive identification procedures that
give rise to a likelihood of misidentification violate due process
3. Improper identifications will be excluded from trial
APPROACH TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 5.
A. The Rule
Evidence obtained in violation of defendant’s Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Amendment rights
generally will be excluded to deter government violation of constitutional rights
B. Initial Appearance
1. Soon after arrest
2. Defendant told of charges, bail set, appointment of counsel if needed
C. Bail
1. Right under Due Process Clause as to federal prosecutions
2. Not required of states but many state constitutions or statutes require
3. Where right exists, excessive bail an Eighth Amendment violation
4. Where right exists, unfair procedures violate due process
6. APPROACH TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
D. Grand Juries
1. Not required of states (but some state constitutions require)
2. Upon finding probable cause, grand jury issues a “true bill”
3. Secret proceedings
4. Broad subpoena power
a. Quashed only if opposing party can prove no reasonable possibility that
material sought is relevant to the grand jury investigation
5. No right to:
a. Counsel
b. Miranda warnings
c. Warnings that witness may be a “potential defendant”
d. Exclude evidence that would be inadmissible at trial
e. Challenge subpoena for lack of probable cause
E. Speedy Trial
1. Under totality of circumstances, court will consider: length of delay, reason for
delay, whether defendant asserted his rights, and prejudice to defendant
2. Remedy—dismissal with prejudice
3. Right attaches on arrest or charging
H. Pretrial Publicity
Excessive prejudicial publicity may necessitate change of venue
V. TRIAL
B. Right to Jury
1. Sixth Amendment right to jury for serious offenses
a. Serious offense—imprisonment for more than six months
b. Civil contempt—no right
2. Number and unanimity
a. At least six jurors
b. 11-1, 10-2, and 9-3 convictions have been upheld
c. Six-person juries must be unanimous
3. Representative cross-section
a. Defendant need not be of excluded group to complain
b. Petit jury need not be representative—just venire
c. Peremptory challenges cannot be used in discriminatory manner
1) If defendant shows facts or circumstances raising an inference of
prejudice,
2) Prosecutor must give race- or sex-neutral explanation, and
3) Judge must then determine prosecutor’s sincerity
4) Defendants similarly limited
4. Right to impartial jury
a. Right to question on racial prejudice if race inextricably bound up
b. Opposition to death penalty
1) May be excluded if view would prevent or substantially impair
performance of duty
C. Right to Counsel
1. Denial of right at trial requires reversal
2. Denial of right at nontrial proceedings requires reversal unless harmless
3. Waiver valid if knowing and intelligent and defendant competent
a. Voluntary and intelligent if defendant has a rational and factual under-
standing of the proceeding
4. Effective assistance of counsel
a. Part of Sixth Amendment right
b. Effective assistance is presumed
c. Ineffective if:
1) Deficient performance and
2) But for deficiency, result of proceeding would have been
different
d. Not ineffective assistance—trial tactics
5. Conflicts of interest—representing multiple clients
a. May be basis for reversal
b. No right to joint representation
B. No Right to Confrontation
1. Exception—magnified sentence based on new findings of fact
2. Exception—capital sentencing requires more confrontation right
APPROACH TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 9.
VIII. APPEAL
A. No Right to Appeal
C. No Right of Self-Representation
A. Habeas Corpus
1. Civil action challenging lawfulness of detention
2. Petitioner has burden to show unlawful detention by preponderance of
evidence
3. Defendant must be “in custody” (includes on bail, probation, or parole)
10. APPROACH TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
X. DOUBLE JEOPARDY
A. Fifth Amendment Right Applicable to States Through Fourteenth Amendment
1. Once jeopardy attaches, defendant cannot be retried for same offense
D. Same Offense
1. Two crimes are not the same offense if each crime requires proof of an element
the other does not require (Blockburger test)
2. Only repetitive criminal prosecutions (not civil actions) prohibited
3. Charges by separate sovereigns (e.g., state and federal governments) not
prohibited