Massiah v. United States extended protection after charges to ensure what?

Massiah v. United States extended protection after charges to ensure what?

• A. It guarantees right to counsel during custodial interrogation
• B. It allows admission of statements obtained during interrogation without counsel if not charged yet
• C. It ensures that after charges, the defendant enjoys the prosecution's constitutional protections for that charge
• D. It applies only to pre-charge investigations

Answer: (C)

Massiah deals with the protections that kick in after a defendant has been charged. Once indictment occurs, the Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches for that charged offense, and the government cannot deliberately elicit statements from the defendant in the absence of counsel. This prevents the State from using covert interrogation or informants to get incriminating statements, ensuring the defendant’s protections apply to the charged offense. So, the idea is that after charges, the defendant enjoys the prosecution’s constitutional protections for that charge, meaning counsel must be present and statements obtained without counsel are not admissible for that offense.

Massiah deals with the protections that kick in after a defendant has been charged. Once indictment occurs, the Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches for that charged offense, and the government cannot deliberately elicit statements from the defendant in the absence of counsel. This prevents the State from using covert interrogation or informants to get incriminating statements, ensuring the defendant’s protections apply to the charged offense.

So, the idea is that after charges, the defendant enjoys the prosecution’s constitutional protections for that charge, meaning counsel must be present and statements obtained without counsel are not admissible for that offense.