 The Compulsory Process Clause was ratified as part of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1791 . It accords a criminal defendant " the right ... to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor . " The Clause was included among other rights ( e.g. right to a notice of charges ) as a foundation for how federal criminal justice would operate . Originally , the Sixth Amendment was only applicable to the federal government . 
