Reading Room Document

Sixth Amendment Implications of Law Enforcement Contact with Corporate Executives

Law enforcement contacts with high-ranking executives of a corporation without the presence of counsel after criminal charges have been filed against the corporation violate the corporation's Sixth Amendment right to counsel. No Sixth Amendment violation occurs when such law enforcement contacts with high-ranking executives occur while civil penalty proceedings are in progress against the corporation. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/20371/download.

April 15, 1994