Pointer v. Texas 380 U.S. 400 (1965)

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POINTER v. TEXAS 380 U.S. 400 (1965)

A state court had allowed the introduction in evidence of the transcript of an absent witness's testimony given at a preliminary hearing when the defendant, unrepresented by counsel, could not effectively cross-examine. The Supreme Court, disallowing an exception to the hearsay rule, held that "the sixth amendment's right of an accused to confront the witnesses against him is a fundamental right and is made obligatory on the State by the fourteenth amendment." The Court also held that the right of confrontation is governed by the same standards in state and federal courts.

Leonard W. Levy
(1986)

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