Here is what the Sixth Amendment says: “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.”
In today’s America the right to a jury trial is blatantly abused by absurdly unjust plea bargain deals. Basically, prosecutors threaten, and corrupt legislators and judges let them threaten, wildly disproportionate punishment if someone goes to a jury trial and loses. This is morally evil and an affront to the United States Constitution.
Right now people can watch a new documentary on the problem, The Vanishing Trial. “Don’t forget to join our virtual panel discussion on Monday, June 15, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET featuring Sakira Cook, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Brittany K. Barnett, Buried Alive Project, Clark Neily, Cato Institute, and Norman Riemer, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The panel will be streamed via Facebook Live on both the FAMM and NACDL Facebook pages.”
Tags: criminal justice, trial penalty