| Pennsylvania v. Finley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 2, 1987 Decided May 18, 1987 | |
| Full case name | Pennsylvania v. Finley |
| Citations | 481 U.S. 551 ( more ) 107 S. Ct. 1990; 95 L. Ed. 2d 539 |
| Prior history | Cert. to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania |
| Holding | |
| Anders v. California (1967) applies only to direct appeals, not collateral postconviction proceedings. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Rehnquist, joined by White, Powell, O'Connor, Scalia |
| Concurrence | Blackmun |
| Dissent | Brennan, joined by Marshall |
| Dissent | Stevens |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. XIV | |
Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the right to counsel.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. Established pursuant to Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, it has original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases, including suits between two or more states and those involving ambassadors. It also has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal court and state court cases that involve a point of federal constitutional or statutory law. The Court has the power of judicial review, the ability to invalidate a statute for violating a provision of the Constitution or an executive act for being unlawful. However, it may act only within the context of a case in an area of law over which it has jurisdiction. The court may decide cases having political overtones, but it has ruled that it does not have power to decide nonjusticiable political questions.
Right to counsel means a defendant has a right to have the assistance of counsel and, if the defendant cannot afford a lawyer, requires that the government appoint one or pay the defendant's legal expenses. The right to counsel is generally regarded as a constituent of the right to a fair trial. Historically, however, not all countries have always recognized the right to counsel. The right is often included in national constitutions. 153 of the 194 constitutions currently in force have language to this effect.
