United States v. Nixon

United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski obtained a subpoena requiring President Nixon to produce tapes of White House conversations related to the Watergate break-in. Nixon refused, claiming absolute executive privilege and that the dispute was a non-justiciable intra-branch conflict. The special prosecutor moved to enforce the subpoena.

Significance

Chief Justice Burger’s unanimous opinion ordered Nixon to produce the tapes. The Court recognized a constitutional basis for executive privilege but held that it is not absolute. In criminal proceedings, the need for evidence outweighs the generalized interest in presidential confidentiality. The decision rejected Nixon’s claim of absolute immunity from judicial process. The tapes revealed Nixon’s involvement in the cover-up, leading to his resignation shortly after the decision. United States v. Nixon firmly established that the President is not above the law.

Category

US Federal Case Law