Opinion ID: 779861
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Sixth Amendment Claims

Text: 30 Burchett also alleges that the officers' actions violated his Sixth Amendment right to be informed of the nature and cause of the charges against him. Although Burchett does not expand on this claim, presumably he is suggesting that officers violated his Sixth Amendment rights by refusing to identify any specific charges against him during his three-hour detention. However, the facts that Burchett alleges do not amount to a constitutional violation, as the Sixth Amendment applies only to criminal prosecutions, and no such prosecution had begun. U.S. Const. amend. VI. See also Jones v. City of Jackson, 203 F.3d 875, 880 (5th Cir. 2000) (A defendant's right to be informed of the nature and cause of an accusation brought against him does not exist until the Government is committed to a prosecution.); Kladis v. Brezek, 823 F.2d 1014, 1018 (7th Cir.1987) ([T]he Sixth Amendment's protection does not come into play until the government has committed itself to prosecution.). As no Sixth Amendment violation occurred, summary judgment was appropriate with respect to this claim.