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Sixth Amendment Activities

Apply landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to your right to counsel and your right to a fair trial. 

"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense." Sixth Amendment, U.S. Constitution

Activities

Batson v. Kentucky
Jury selection and race

J.E.B. v. Alabama
Jury selection and gender

Carey v. Musladin
Victims' free expression rights and defendants' rights to an impartial jury

Gideon v. Wainwright
Indigent defendants and the right to counsel

In re Gault
Juveniles and the right to counsel

 

Court Shorts: Right to Counsel

Federal judges and public defense attorneys discuss the significance of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).

DISCLAIMER: These resources are created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for educational purposes only. They may not reflect the current state of the law, and are not intended to provide legal advice, guidance on litigation, or commentary on any pending case or legislation.