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United States v. Wade Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court held that a post-indictment police lineup is a “critical stage” of the prosecution. Therefore, an accused has a Sixth Amendment right to have counsel present, and an uncounseled lineup can taint a subsequent in-court identification.
Legal Significance: This case established a Sixth Amendment right to counsel at post-indictment lineups, deeming them a “critical stage” of prosecution. It created the “independent source” doctrine, allowing in-court identifications if untainted by the illegal lineup, profoundly shaping police identification procedures.
United States v. Wade Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
After respondent Wade was indicted for bank robbery, the court appointed counsel to represent him. Subsequently, an FBI agent, without notice to Wade’s lawyer, conducted a post-indictment lineup. The lineup included Wade and five or six other prisoners. Each participant was required to wear strips of tape on their face, as the robber had, and to speak words allegedly uttered during the crime. Two bank employees who had witnessed the robbery identified Wade in the lineup. At trial, the same two employees made in-court identifications of Wade. On cross-examination, Wade’s counsel elicited testimony about the prior lineup. Counsel then moved to strike the in-court identifications, arguing that the uncounseled lineup violated Wade’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The trial court denied the motion, and Wade was convicted. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding the lineup violated Wade’s Sixth Amendment rights.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a post-indictment lineup conducted for identification purposes without notice to or the presence of the accused’s counsel constitute a critical stage of the prosecution, thereby violating the accused’s Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel?
Yes. A post-indictment lineup is a critical stage of the prosecution at Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est labo
IRAC Legal Analysis
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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does a post-indictment lineup conducted for identification purposes without notice to or the presence of the accused’s counsel constitute a critical stage of the prosecution, thereby violating the accused’s Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel?
Conclusion
This landmark decision extended the Sixth Amendment right to counsel to a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo c
Legal Rule
A post-indictment, pretrial lineup is a "critical stage" of a criminal prosecution, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia d
Legal Analysis
The Court first addressed and rejected Wade's Fifth Amendment claim, holding that Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatu
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A post-indictment lineup is a “critical stage” of the prosecution, triggering