Hemphill v. New York
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Hemphill v. New York and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Hemphill v. New York.
In Hemphill v. New York, the Supreme Court addressed the admission of a plea allocution transcript without cross-examination, which Hemphill argued violated his Sixth Amendment rights. The trial court allowed this evidence, claiming Hemphill had 'opened the door' to it. The Court found this admission violated Hemphill's right to confront witnesses.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Hemphill v. New York.
The Court held that the trial court's admission of the transcript of Morris' plea allocution violated Hemphill's Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Hemphill v. New York. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
-
Why Confrontation of Witnesses is relevant to Hemphill v. New York
The case centers on the violation of Hemphill's Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against him.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Held: The trial court's admission of the transcript of Morris' plea allocution over Hemphill's objection violated Hemphill's Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Hemphill v. New York that support the summary and concepts above.
The trial court's admission of the transcript of Morris' plea allocution over Hemphill's objection violated Hemphill's Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him.
The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment provides a criminal defendant the bedrock right 'to be confronted with the witnesses against him.'
The Court rejects the State's contention that the 'opening the door' rule incorporated in People v. Reid and applied here is not a Confrontation Clause exception.
