Bell v. Burson

In Bell v. Burson (1971) 402 U.S. 535, the court held that except in emergency situations, due process requires that when a state seeks to terminate a driver's license, it must afford notice and opportunity for a hearing appropriate to the nature of the case. Under the Georgia financial responsibility statute providing for the suspension of the license of an uninsured motorist involved in an accident who failed to post security to cover the amount of damages claimed by aggrieved parties, the state had to provide a forum for the determination of the question of whether there was a reasonable possibility of a judgment being rendered against the uninsured motorist. The court declined to rule what procedural safeguards were necessary in such a suspension hearing. "A procedural rule that may satisfy due process in one context may not necessarily satisfy procedural due process in every case. Thus, procedures adequate to determine a welfare claim may not suffice to try a felony charge . . . ." ( Id., at p. 540.)