The right to a speedy trial -- The right to a public trial -- The right to a jury trial -- Place of prosecution -- The right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusations -- The confrontation clause -- The compulsory process clause
Alfredo Garcia, who has been both a prosecuting and a defense attorney in criminal processes, reviews the United States Supreme Court's interpretations of the Sixth Amendment--the right to a fair trial--as they have evolved since the 1960s. He determines that the Court, with a few notable exceptions, has demonstrated doctrinal inconsistency and has failed to adhere to the core values embedded in the amendment. Garcia argues that the functional and symbolic roles of the Sixth Amendment have been eroded, and that this is particularly evident in the three clauses that provide defendants the means to respond to charges and to be assured of fair process. The clauses considered specifically involve the right to counsel, the right to confrontation, and the right to compulsory process. The Supreme Court's emphasis in more recent years is perceived to be on efficiency rather than on protecting the ideal of a fair trial. The six chapters cover the rights to counsel, to confrontation, to compulsory process, to a speedy trial, and to a jury trial, and the sometime conflict between a free press (First Amendment) and the Sixth Amendment assurance of a fair trial free of antecedent prejudicial publicity. This is a timely, much-needed, and substantive examination of the highest court's interpretations of a defendant's constitutional right to a fair, speedy trial.
Examines the causes for mass incarceration of Americans and calls for the reform of the bail system. Traces the history of bail, how it has come to be an oppressive tool of the courts, and makes recommendations for reforming the bail system and alleviating the mass incarceration problem.
The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
The Right to Counsel in American Courts is the first detailed treatment of all aspects of this vital right as extended in theory and practice by state and federal courts. Addressed primarily to students of constitutional law and of the administration of justice, it is also a valuable tool for practicing lawyers because of its thoughtful organization and wealth of citations.
Inaugurating Greenw4ood's Reference Guides to the United States Constitution series, this superlative guide to the Sixth Amendment is the first to survey the legal guarantee of counsel's assistance since 1963's Gideon ruling. The vast majority of important, even landmark cases regarding the right to counsel were decided after that pivotal ruling, making this the definitive work on the topic. Tomkovicz offers a concise yet substantial account of the historical development of the right to counsel in England and America. Included are: •A brief history of the topic •Lengthy and sophisticated analysis of the current state of the law •A bibliographical essay organizing and evaluating scholarly material for further research •A table of cases •Index A thorough analysis of the relevant U.S. Supreme Court's doctrine gives concrete content to the right to assistance of defense counsel. Scholars and students of the U.S. Constitution, along with attorneys and lay readers, will gain a rich understanding of the meaning and importance of the Sixth Amendment, and a comprehensive overview of a cornerstone of America's constitutional and legal order.
For the first time ever, a retired Supreme Court Justice offers a manifesto on how the Constitution needs to change. By the time of his retirement in June 2010, John Paul Stevens had become the second longest serving Justice in the history of the Supreme Court. Now he draws upon his more than three decades on the Court, during which he was involved with many of the defining decisions of the modern era, to offer a book like none other. Six Amendments is an absolutely unprecedented call to arms, detailing six specific ways in which the Constitution should be amended in order to protect our democracy and the safety and wellbeing of American citizens. Written with the same precision and elegance that made Stevens's own Court opinions legendary for their clarity as well as logic, Six Amendments is a remarkable work, both because of its unprecedented nature and, in an age of partisan ferocity, its inarguable common sense.
The right to a fair trial is often held as a central constitutional protection. It nevertheless remains unclear what precisely should count as a 'fair' trial and who should decide verdicts. This already difficult issue has become even more important given a number of proposed reforms of the trial, especially for defendants charged with terrorism offences. This collection, The Right to a Fair Trial, is the first to publish in one place the most influential work in the field on the following topics: including the right to jury trial; lay participation in trials; jury nullification; trial reform; the civil jury trial; and the more recent issue of terrorism trials. The collection should help inform both scholars and students of both the importance and complexity of the right to a fair trial, as well as shed light on how the trial might be further improved.