Nichols v. United States (1994)

Nichols v. United States
Argued January 10, 1994
Decided June 6, 1994
Full case nameNichols v. United States
Citations511 U.S. 738 (more)
Holding
A previous conviction for a misdemeanor offense where no counsel was present can be used to enhance a sentence for an offender's subsequent conviction as long as the misdemeanor did not result in imprisonment.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
Harry Blackmun · John P. Stevens
Sandra Day O'Connor · Antonin Scalia
Anthony Kennedy · David Souter
Clarence Thomas · Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Case opinions
MajorityRehnquist, joined by Thomas, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy
ConcurrenceSouter
DissentBlackmun, Ginsberg, joined by Stevens
Laws applied
Sixth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment

Nichols v. United States, 511 U.S. 738 (1994), was a United States Supreme Court case that ruled that an uncounseled misdemeanor conviction, which resulted in a punishment other than imprisonment, can be used to enhance a sentence for a subsequent offense.[1]

References