Existing comment:
Draft of Duncan v. Louisiana
Duncan v. Louisiana was a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that arose from the conviction of a Louisiana teen for simple battery, a misdemeanor that under Louisiana law did not require a jury trial. The Supreme Court decided the conviction was void because it violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees the Sixth Amendment right to a trial by jury for criminal cases in state courts. Referencing Magna Carta, the majority stated: "Trial by jury in criminal cases is fundamental to the American scheme of justice." |