ABA Journal

Sixth Amendment

70 ABA Journal Sixth Amendment articles.

Federal judge orders release of county’s unrepresented defendants, says problem is ‘complete tragedy’

A federal judge in Eugene, Oregon, has ruled that defendants held without lawyers for 10 days in Washington County, Oregon’s jail must be released from custody.

Black lawyer alleges he was wearing handcuffs as judge pressed him to settle or produce documents

A Black lawyer who is a former pro football player has sued a Pennsylvania judge for allegedly ordering the lawyer’s arrest and having him hauled into court in shackles, where the lawyer was presented with a stark choice.

Weekly Briefs: $10.3B ‘forever chemicals’ deal announced; data-breach suit against Cadwalader dropped

3M agrees to settle ‘forever chemicals’ cases for $10.3B

3M, a multinational conglomerate corporation and a maker of chemicals, has agreed to pay $10.3 billion to settle claims by municipalities…

Lawyer’s racist and anti-Muslim rants on social media entitle defendant to new trial, court rules

The top court in Massachusetts has granted a new trial to a Black, Muslim defendant whose appointed lawyer expressed “vitriolic hatred” and racism in social media posts.

The Massachusetts Supreme…

Supreme Court rules for prosecutors in venue case that might have influenced Trump charging decision

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a criminal defendant can be retried in a new venue if the first trial was held in the wrong place.

Pregnant criminal defense lawyer on bed rest loses trial-delay bid in top state court

The Ohio Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a bid by a pregnant lawyer on bed rest to stay a trial scheduled to begin the next day.

Criminal defense lawyer convicted for conspiracy to launder drug cash loses federal appeal

A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a criminal defense lawyer accused of using his position as a law firm partner to help two clients launder drug money.

Removing unvaccinated potential jurors didn’t violate defendants’ Sixth Amendment rights, 4th Circuit rules

A federal judge’s decision to remove unvaccinated potential jurors did not violate two defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to have their cases heard by a fair cross section of the community, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Alleged law firm scammer gets charges tossed on speedy-trial grounds

A Nigerian citizen accused of acting with others to scam law firms and lawyers out of more than $30 million has won dismissal of the U.S. charges against him.

ABA task force issues 14 guiding principles to improve plea bargaining system

An ABA task force that spent three years examining problems in plea bargaining has released recommendations that judges, lawyers, lawmakers and other stakeholders can follow to create a fairer, more transparent process.

Unanimous jury requirement applies to older criminal cases, top state court rules

The Oregon Supreme Court recently ruled that the constitutional requirement for unanimous juries in serious criminal cases applies to older verdicts challenged in state post-conviction proceedings.

Supreme Court will decide criminal cases involving co-defendant’s statement, improper venue

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide two cases involving criminal defendants and their rights under the Sixth Amendment.

Public defender is plaintiff in suit alleging exclusion of felons from Manhattan juries is unconstitutional

A public defender who can’t serve on a New York jury because of a 2009 felony drug conviction is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on jurors with felony convictions as applied in Manhattan, New York City.

12-person juries are constitutionally required in serious criminal cases, Gorsuch argues

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented Monday, when the Supreme Court turned down an appeal that challenges the use of eight-person juries in serious criminal cases.

Ban on nonunanimous juries is not retroactive in Louisiana, top state court says

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Friday that inmates convicted by nonunanimous juries can’t challenge their convictions if they were final before the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment required jury unanimity to convict in serious cases—in federal and state courts.

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