Duncan v. Louisiana

Following is the case brief for Duncan v. Louisiana, United States Supreme Court, (1968) Case summary for Duncan v. Louisiana: Duncan was charged with simple battery and requested a jury trial. The court denied his request as the state only permitted jury trials for capital offenses and Duncan was found guilty. Duncan appealed his conviction, claiming the denial of his […]

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Plaintiff

Plaintiff is the term used to describe a party who initiates a court action, whether a lawsuit in civil court, or charges in criminal court, in order to seek a legal remedy. The party responding to the lawsuit, or the person being charged with a crime, is known as the Defendant. In criminal court proceedings, the plaintiff can refer to […]

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Grand Jury

Since colonial times, America has embraced the custom of the grand jury in criminal law. This panel of 12 to 23 ordinary citizens reviews evidence, hears sworn testimony, and otherwise conducts an investigation into alleged criminal conduct, to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the accused. This method of establishing “probable cause” to charge a person with a […]

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