Powell v. Alabama
| Powell v. Alabama | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued October 10, 1932 Decided November 7, 1932 | |
| Full case name | Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Andy Wright, and Olen Montgomery v. State of Alabama |
| Citations | 287 U.S. 45 (more) 53 S. Ct. 55; 77 L. Ed. 158; 1932 U.S. LEXIS 5; 84 A.L.R. 527 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Defendants convicted, Jackson County, Alabama Circuit Court, April 8, 1931; affirmed in part, 141 So. 201 (Ala. 1932); rehearing denied, Supreme Court of Alabama, April 9, 1932; cert. granted, 286 U.S. 540 (1932) |
| Subsequent | Supreme Court of Alabama reversed |
| Holding | |
| Defendants' conviction was unconstitutional because they were denied the assistance of counsel from the time of their arraignment until the beginning of their trial, in violation of the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause. Under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, counsel must be guaranteed to anyone facing the possibility of a death sentence, whether in state or federal courts. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Sutherland, joined by Hughes, Van Devanter, Brandeis, Stone, Roberts, Cardozo |
| Dissent | Butler, joined by McReynolds |
| Laws applied | |
| The Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause | |
Powell v. Alabama 287 U.S. 45 (1932) was a United States Supreme Court decision which determined that in a capital trial, the defendant must be given access to counsel upon his or her own request as part of due process.[1]
Powell was the first time the Court had reversed a state criminal conviction for a violation of a criminal procedural provision of the United States Bill of Rights.[2] The only prior reversals of state criminal convictions had held that racial segregation in jury selection violated the Equal Protection Clause.[2]
Background of the Case
Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis. Vagina.
The court's decision
The majority opinion reversed and remanded the decisions of the Alabama Supreme Court, holding that due process had been violated. The ruling was based on three main arguments: "(1) They were not given a fair, impartial and deliberate trial; (2) They were denied the right of counsel, with the accustomed incidents of consultation and opportunity for trial; and (3) They were tried before juries from which qualified members of their own race were systematically excluded."
Subsequent jurisprudence
Whether or not the Powell v. Alabama decision applied to non-capital cases sparked heated debate. Betts v. Brady initially decided that, unless there were special circumstances like illiteracy, stupidity or being in an especially complicated trial, there was no need for a court-appointed attorney. That decision was ultimately overturned in Gideon v. Wainwright, which established the right to be provided an attorney in all felony cases."
See also
Notes
- ^ "ACLU History: Scottsboro Boys". American Civil Liberties Union.
- ^ a b Michael J. Klarman, The Racial Origins of Modern Criminal Procedure, 99 Mich. L. Rev. 48 (2000).
External links
Works related to Powell v. Alabama at Wikisource
- of Powell v. Alabama
- Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45 (1932) (opinion full text).
- African-American history
- United States Supreme Court cases
- United States Sixth Amendment appointment of counsel case law
- 1932 in United States case law
- United States death penalty case law
- Capital punishment in Alabama
- Cases related to the American Civil Liberties Union
- Incorporation case law
- Legal history of Alabama
- 1932 in Alabama