Klopfer v. North Carolina (1966)
- Docket
- 100
- Decided
- 1966-01-01
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Does the nolle prosequi deny Klopfer his constitutional right to a speedy trial? Conclusion: Yes. In a unanimous decision, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the majority opinion reversing the lower court. The Supreme Court held that indefinitely suspending a trial violates a defendant’s right to a speedy trial. The Court also held that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies the Sixth Amendment to the states. The Court noted that almost every state has rejected the Supreme Court of North Carolina’s reasoning. Justice John M. Harlan concurred in the result, but argued that incorporating the Sixth Amendment is not necessary. He based his decision solely on the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Potter Stewart also concurred in the result.