Introduction

The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees criminal defendants:

• The right to a public trial without unnecessary delay.
• The right to an attorney, the right to an impartial jury.
• The right to know one’s accusers.
• The nature of the charges or evidence against them.

Preparation

Analyze the following U.S. Supreme Court cases:

• Ballew v. Georgia.
• Burch v. Louisiana.

Reference the following case brief examples:

• Speedy Trial Case Brief Example Download Speedy Trial Case Brief Example.
• Impartial Jury Case Brief Example Download Impartial Jury Case Brief Example.

Instructions

Write a 4–6 page paper in which you:

1. Explain the fundamental protections available to a defendant under the Sixth Amendment related to the concepts of a speedy trial, an impartial jury, the role of the jury, and the right to face one’s accusers.
2. Prepare a one-page case brief of Ballew v. Georgia.
   • Use the Sixth Amendment – Ballew v. Georgia Case Brief template [DOCX] Download Sixth Amendment – Ballew v. Georgia Case Brief template [DOCX].
3. Prepare a one-page case brief of Burch v. Louisiana.
   • Use the Sixth Amendment Burch v. Louisiana Case Brief template [DOCX]Download Sixth Amendment Burch v. Louisiana Case Brief template [DOCX]
4. Analyze the reasoning behind the U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Ballew v. Georgia and Burch v. Louisiana that a conviction by a unanimous five-person jury in a trial for a non-petty offense deprives an accused of the right to trial by jury.
5. Support your writing with at least three credible, relevant, and appropriate academic sources.
6. Write in an articulate and well-organized manner that is grammatically correct and free of spelling, typographical, formatting, and/or punctuation errors.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Evaluate the role of the Sixth Amendment in U.S. trials.