klopfer north carolina argued december decided march petitioner trial north carolina criminal trespass indictment ended declaration mistrial jury failed reach verdict case postponed two terms petitioner filed motion trial petitioned ascertain state intended bring trial motion considered state prosecutor moved permission take nolle prosequi leave procedural device whereby accused discharged custody remains subject prosecution time future discretion prosecutor although petitioner objected trespass charge abated civil rights act entry nolle prosequi order violate federal right speedy trial trial without stated justification granted prosecutor motion appeal state affirmed trial action holding defendant right speedy trial trial right require state prosecute prosecutor discretion approval elects take nolle prosequi held indefinitely postponing prosecution indictment petitioner objection without stated justification state denied petitioner right speedy trial guaranteed sixth fourteenth amendments federal constitution pp reversed remanded wade penny argued cause filed brief petitioner andrew vanore argued cause respondent brief bruton attorney general north carolina ralph moody deputy attorney general william van alstyne melvin wulf filed brief american civil liberties union et amici curiae chief justice warren delivered opinion question involved case whether state may indefinitely postpone prosecution indictment without stated justification objection accused discharged custody presented context application unusual north carolina criminal procedural device known nolle prosequi leave north carolina criminal procedure prosecuting attorney county denominated solicitor determines desire proceed prosecution may take nolle prosequi thereby declaring time prosecute suit effect put defendant without day discharged permitted go whithersoever without entering recognizance appear time wilkinson wilkinson taking nolle prosequi permanently terminate proceedings indictment contrary nolle prosequi entered case may restored trial docket ordered judge upon solicitor application state klopfer solicitor petitions nolle prosequi case leave consent required reinstate prosecution future date implied order solicitor without order may case restored trial ibid since indictment discharged either nolle prosequi nolle prosequi leave statute limitations remains tolled state williams although entry nolle prosequi said usually properly left discretion solicitor state moody early decisions indicate state aware trial judge exercise control procedure prevent oppression defendants see state smith state thornton present case neither solicitor offers reason case petitioner nolle prossed except suggestion solicitor tried defendant obtained mistrial may concluded another go worth time expense another effort brief attorney general quotes language opinion support judgment whether procedure presently sustained north carolina courts statute conception procedure indicated opinion transcript briefs parties present case statutory reference nolle prosequi general statutes north carolina face apply facts case perhaps procedure genesis lies early nineteenth century decisions state approving use nolle prosequi leave reinstate indictment although early applications procedure quite different period following enactment compare state thompson state thornton capias issued immediately entry nolle prosequi leave state smith capias issued eight years nolle prosequi leave taken even though defendant available trial consequence extraordinary criminal procedure made apparent case defendant indicted misdemeanor may denied opportunity exonerate discretion solicitor held subject trial objection throughout unlimited period solicitor may restore case calendar period means obtain dismissal case restored calendar trial spite result attorney general state fact rely upon affirmance case procedure applied petitioner placed limitations upon way violative rights agree procedure applied petitioner following circumstances february petitioner indicted grand jury orange county crime criminal trespass misdemeanor punishable fine imprisonment amount duration determined exercise discretion bill charged entered restaurant january ordered leave said premises wilfully unlawfully refused knowing reason know license therefor prosecution indictment began admirable promptness march special criminal session superior orange county jury failed reach verdict trial judge declared mistrial ordered case continued term several weeks prior april criminal session superior state solicitor informed petitioner intention nolle prosequi leave entered case session petitioner attorney opposed entry order open trespass charge contended abated civil rights act construed hamm city rock hill spite petitioner opposition indicated approve entry nolle prosequi leave requested solicitor solicitor declined make motion nolle prosequi leave instead filed motion continue case yet another term motion granted calendar august criminal session list klopfer case trial ascertain status case petitioner filed motion expressing desire charge pending permanently concluded accordance applicable laws state north carolina soon reasonably possible noting months elapsed since indictment petitioner professor zoology duke university contended pendency indictment greatly interfered professional activities travel wherefore motion concluded defendant petitions exercise general supervisory jurisdiction inquire trial status charge pending defendant ascertain intention state regard trial said charge defendant brought trial response motion trial judge considered status petitioner case open monday august time solicitor moved state permitted take nolle prosequi leave even though justification proposed entry offered state spite petitioner objection order granted state motion appeal north carolina petitioner contended entry nolle prosequi leave order deprived right speedy trial required fourteenth amendment constitution although acknowledged entry nolle prosequi leave permanently discharge indictment nevertheless affirmed opinion concludes without question defendant right speedy trial trial however understand defendant right compel state prosecute state prosecutor discretion approval elects take nolle prosequi case one jury seems unable agree solicitor may concluded another go worth time expense another case solicitor entering nolle prosequi leave followed customary procedure cases discretion reviewable facts disclosed record order affirmed believe position taken erroneous petitioner relieved limitations placed upon liberty prosecution merely suspension permits go whithersoever pendency indictment may subject public scorn deprive employment almost certainly force curtailment speech associations participation unpopular causes indefinitely prolonging oppression well anxiety concern accompanying public accusation criminal procedure condoned case north carolina clearly denies petitioner right speedy trial hold guaranteed sixth amendment constitution difference opinion provisions amendment constitution apply fourteenth amendment question settled recent cases gideon wainwright pointer texas latter case dealt provision said light gideon malloy cases cited opinions holding various provisions bill rights applicable virtue fourteenth amendment statements made west similar cases generally declaring sixth amendment apply longer regarded law hold petitioner entitled tried accordance protection confrontation guarantee sixth amendment guarantee like right compelled enforced fourteenth amendment according standards protect personal rights federal encroachment malloy hogan supra therefore every subject realme injury done bonis terris vel persona subject ecclesiasticall temporall free bond man woman old young outlawed excommunicated without exception may take remedy course law justice right injury done freely without sale fully without deniall speedily without delay history right speedy trial reception country clearly establish one basic rights preserved constitution reasons stated judgment must reversed remanded proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered stat nolle prosequi leave shall entered criminal actions indictment pending two terms defendant apprehended nolle prosequi entered unless judge good cause shown shall order otherwise clerk superior shall issue capias arrest defendant named criminal action nolle prosequi entered reasonable ground believing defendant may arrested upon application solicitor district defendant shall arrested shall duty clerk issue subpoena witnesses state indorsed indictment provision originally enacted oral argument counsel state informed north carolina indictment quashed contained vitiating defect see also stat stat supp although expressly limited statute extent punishment limited const art excessive bail required excessive fines imposed cruel unusual punishments inflicted see state driver decisions state courts indicate imprisonment two years unusual punishment see state farrington constitutional limitation upon amount fine judicially determined see rost municipal southern judicial district cal app cal rptr dist kistler state ind jones commonwealth barrett state md hicks recorder detroit state artz see also jacobson winter idaho people bryarly people prosser state couture state keefe wyo right speedy trial may violated undue delay bringing prisoner confined within state trial even though held custody indictment dicta decisions colorado iowa utah courts clearly indicate also hold speedy trial right protect defendant petitioner position see miller pines district woodbury county iowa state mathis utah although pennsylvania decided question presented case decisions indicate right speedy trial applicable man held prison see commonwealth ex rel smith patterson case commonwealth held delay trying defendant failure give notice pendency complaint eight years constituted denial due process moreover rule commonwealth rules criminal procedure authorizes dismiss case brought trial within reasonable time rule legislation defendant whether large custody whose trial unduly delayed entitled dismissal see rule crim proc cal pen code code ann idaho code ann iowa code supp la rev stat supp rev stat tit mont rev codes ann rev stat rev rule crim proc supp cent code okla tit rev stat code supp utah code ann rev code code ann thirty continue permit prosecuting official enter nolle prosequi legislation decisions proscribe reinstatement indictment subsequent term see lawson people price cobb app implication jones newell app state wong haw people watson cert denied la rev stat barrett state md state montgomery mo golib ohio app state ex rel hobbs murrell ex parte isbell tex cr dudley state woodworth mills alabama permits reinstatement indictment nolle prossed leave defendant brought see code tit supp thus procedure similar filing away indictment discussed remaining north carolina pennsylvania held nolle prossed indictment reinstated subsequent term see commonwealth mclaughlin several permit removal indictment trial docket leave reinstate indefinite future date use procedure limited situations defendant brought consented removal see people fewkes cal state dix ind app lifshutz state md cert denied commonwealth dowdican bail mass indictment may filed away verdict consent accused gordon state miss consent defendant necessary rush state miss defendant mental institution time indictment retired files one time illinois decisions indicated accused imprisoned within state another charge indictment might filed away without consent see people kidd decisions since overruled see people bryarly ewell magna carta king john charter translated quoted coke second part institutes laws england brooke robber murderer thief receiver arrested aforesaid oath justices come speedily enough country taken let sheriffs send word nearest justice person arrested men justices shall send back word sheriffs informing desire men brought let sheriffs bring justices english historical documents example commission goal delivery set forth goebel cases materials development legal institutions rev lord king beloved faithful stephen de segrave william fitz warin greeting know appointed justices deliver gaol gloucester accordance custom realm prisoners arrested held hence order company coroners county gloucester convene gloucester morrow festival holy trinity twelfth year reign monday may deliver aforementioned gaol aforesaid ordered sheriff gloucestershire aforesaid time place cause come prisoners aforesaid gaol persons attached appear account witness whereof etc dated april twelfth year reign judges commissioned general oyer terminer commission professor goebel writes ordered inquire grand jury named crimes treasons pettiest offense particulars hear determine according law custom realm coke op cit supra see ibid hereby appeareth coke stated next paragraph justice must three qualities must libera quia nihil iniquius venali justitia plena quia justitia non debet claudicare et celeris quia dilatio est quaedam negatio justice right later explication chapter coke wrote conformity promise delay justice king commissions oier terminer goale delivery peace clause facturi quod ad justitiam pertinet secundum legem consuetudinem angliae doe justice right according rule law custome england see warren history american bar meador habeas corpus magna carta quoted warren op cit supra quoted bowen lion throne see coke op cit supra proeme see rowland life george mason see va declaration rights see del art md declaration rights art xix pa declaration rights art ix va declaration rights mass part art xi provided every subject commonwealth find certain remedy recourse laws injuries wrongs may receive person property character obtain right justice freely without obliged purchase completely without denial promptly without delay conformably laws construed guaranteeing citizens right speedy trial see commonwealth hanley mass similar provision included new hampshire constitution part art xiv kentucky tennessee vermont three admitted union eighteenth century specifically guaranteed right speedy trial constitutions see const art xiv const art xii const art xi justice harlan concurring result entirely agree result reached unable subscribe constitutional premises upon result based quite evidently viewpoint fourteenth amendment incorporates absorbs specific provisions bill rights believe sound constitutional doctrine see opinion concurring result pointer texas rest decision case speedy trial provision sixth amendment ground unusual north carolina procedure effect allows state prosecuting officials put person cloud unliquidated criminal charge indeterminate period violates requirement fundamental fairness assured due process clause fourteenth amendment support conclusion need refer traditional concepts due process set forth opinion chief justice