Can a defendant be questioned about unrelated offenses after their Sixth Amendment rights attach?

The assertion that a defendant can be questioned about unrelated offenses after their Sixth Amendment rights have attached is grounded in the principle that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel for defendants only in relation to charges that have been formally filed against them. This means that once formal proceedings initiate, any questioning regarding those specific charges must occur with an attorney present if the defendant chooses to exercise that right.

However, the situation differs when it comes to unrelated offenses. The Sixth Amendment does not provide blanket protection against questioning about offenses that are not part of the charges currently pending. Law enforcement can still question a defendant about unrelated offenses even after the right to counsel has attached for other charges, as long as the questioning is not aimed at the current charges without the presence of an attorney.

This is consistent with precedents set by various court rulings, which have clarified that the right to counsel is offense-specific. If the defendant is approached about an offense unrelated to the charges at hand, they may be questioned without violating their Sixth Amendment rights, as there is no direct connection to the right of representation for the pending case.

Thus, the correct interpretation supports that questioning can occur about unrelated offenses, reinforcing the idea that the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel applies narrowly, primarily to the specific