sixth amendment
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For Decades, Split-Jury Convictions Imprisoned and Silenced Black Defendants. The Supreme Court Finally Found Them Unconstitutional
It’s a rule so common, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was law across the U.S.: that in order to be convicted by a jury of your peers, that jury has to unanimously agree on your guilt. For almost a hundred years, this wasn’t the case in Louisiana, where split decision votes of at least…
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Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association Says 1,300 People Have Been Held in Jail for 4 Years Without Trial
So much for the Sixth Amendment, which should guarantee a suspect the right to a speedy trial. According to the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, that is just not the case locally, with some 1,300 people being locked up in local jails for four years while awaiting their trials. About 70 people have been waiting for five…