Adams v. Illinois

Adams v. Illinois
Argued December 7, 1971
Decided March 6, 1972
Full case nameJohn Adam v. Illinois
Citations405 U.S. 278 (more)
Case history
Prior46 Ill. 2d 200, 263 N.E.2d 490 (1970)
Holding
The right to counsel in preliminary hearings established by Coleman v. Alabama does not apply retroactively.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William O. Douglas · William J. Brennan Jr.
Potter Stewart · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Lewis F. Powell Jr. · William Rehnquist
Case opinions
MajorityBrennan, joined by Stewart, White, Burger, Blackmun
ConcurrenceBurger
ConcurrenceBlackmun
DissentDouglas, joined by Marshall
Powell, Rehnquist took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Adams v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 278 (1972) was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that the right to counsel in preliminary hearings announced by Coleman v. Alabama does not have a retroactive application. The retroactivity of criminal procedure decisions was controversial among members of Court at the time, but the Court announced a more concrete rule in Teague v. Lane.