Sixth Amendment
Aji Jallow
In my own words
In a criminal prosecution, that person is entitled to a fair and speedy trial that grants justice.
Amendment:
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 defence.
History of the Sixth Amendment
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights that sets forth rights related to criminal prosecutions. The Bill of Rights contains some of the most vital and important freedoms guaranteed to U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court has applied the protections of the Sixth Amendment to the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Supreme Court Case
Pointer vs. Texas-1965
Granville Pointer was accused of robbing Kenneth Phillips of hundreds of dollars. At the time of this trial, the Sixth Amendment was only applied to federal trials.
Court's Decision
Basically, in a unanimous opinion written by Justice Hugo Black, the Court held that the Sixth Amendment's right of confrontation required Texas to allow Pointer an opportunity to confront Dillard through counsel. Justice Black declined to answer whether the Sixth Amendment required Texas to appoint counsel to represent Pointer at a preliminary hearing. Justice Black described the history of the Sixth Amendment in the Court, writing that the Fourteenth Amendment imposed the right to counsel on the states.
Cited Source
Shea, Therese. Sixth Amendment : The Rights of the Accused in Criminal Cases. New York: Rosen Central, 2011. Ebook.