Betterman v. Montana (578 U.S. 437)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 19, 2016 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 578 U.S. 437 · 136 S. Ct. 1609
- Decided
- May 19, 2016
- Term
- October Term 2015
- Vote
- 8–0
- Majority author
- Justice Ginsburg
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
(Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2015 1 Syllabus NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued. The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321 , 337. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Syllabus BETTERMAN v. MONTANA CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF MONTANA No. 14–1457. Argued March 28, 2016—Decided May 19, 2016 Petitioner Brandon Betterman pleaded guilty to bail jumping after fail- ing to appear in court on domestic assault charges. He was then jailed for over 14 months awaiting sentence, in large part due to in- stitutional delay. He was eventually sentenced to seven years’ im- prisonment, with four of the years suspended. Arguing that the 14- month gap between conviction and sentencing violated his speedy trial right, Betterman appealed, but the Montana Supreme Court af- firmed the conviction and sentence, ruling that the Sixth Amend- ment’s Speedy Trial Clause does not apply to postconviction, presen- tencing delay. Held: 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. Pp. 3–11. (a) Criminal proceedings generally…
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