Betterman v. Montana, 578 U.S. 437 (2016), was a United States Supreme Court case which held that the right to a speedy trial does not guarantee the right to speedy sentencing. It was decided on May 19, 2016.[1]
| Betterman v. Montana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 28, 2016 Decided May 19, 2016 | |
| Full case name | Brandon Thomas Betterman, Petitioner v. Montana |
| Docket no. | 14-1457 |
| Citations | 578 U.S. 437 (more) 136 S. Ct. 1609; 194 L. Ed. 2d 723 |
| Opinion announcement | Opinion announcement |
| Case history | |
| Prior | State v. Betterman, 2015 MT 39, 378 Mont. 182, 342 P.3d 971; cert. granted, 136 S. Ct. 582 (2015). |
| Holding | |
| "The Sixth Amendment's speedy trial guarantee does not apply once a defendant has been found guilty at trial or has pleaded guilty to criminal charges." | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Ginsburg, joined by unanimous |
| Concurrence | Thomas, joined by Alito |
| Concurrence | Sotomayor |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. VI | |
Background
editBrandon T. Betterman was charged with an assault on a family member in 2011, but failed to show up at a Montana court room.[2] In April 2012, Betterman pleaded guilty to jumping bail. He spent 14 months in a county jail in Montana while waiting for his sentence. In the summer of 2013, the judge sentenced him to seven years in prison, with four years suspended.[3] Betterman ultimately appealed his case to the Supreme Court of the United States, where argued that holding him in the county jail for 14 months violated his constitutional rights, because the right to a speedy trial guaranteed under the Speedy Trial Clause of the Sixth Amendment extended to speedy sentencing.[2]
Opinion of the Court
editIn a unanimous 8–0 ruling, the Montana Supreme Court's decision was upheld. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the decision in an 11-page opinion.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Supreme Court Rules Right to Speedy Trial Ends at Guilty Verdict (Published 2016)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b No Right to Speedy Sentencing, Justices Rule
- ^ a b "U.S. Supreme Court Says No Right to Speedy Sentencing". The Atlantic. May 19, 2016. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022.
Further reading
edit- Saetveit, Kristin (2016). "Beyond Pollard: Applying the Sixth Amendment's Speedy Trial Right to Sentencing" (PDF). Stanford Law Review. 68 (2): 481–509.
External links
edit- Text of Betterman v. Montana, 578 U.S. ___ (2016) is available from: Google Scholar Justia Oyez (oral argument audio) Supreme Court (slip opinion) (archived)
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