Massiah Rule Law and Legal Definition
Massiah rule is a principle that an attempt to elicit incriminating statements from a suspect whose right to counsel has attached but who has not waived that right violates the Sixth Amendment. This standard was set in the case Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201 (U.S. 1964)wherein the court held “any secret interrogation of the defendant, from and after the finding of the indictment, without the protection afforded by the presence of counsel, contravenes the basic dictates of fairness in the conduct of criminal causes and the fundamental rights of persons charged with crime."
