Non-unanimous juries violate the 6th Amendment, but weren’t outlawed nationwide until 2020

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that non-unanimous juries—those that convict a defendant with a split decision—are a violation of the 6th Amendment. But a loophole, until recently, allowed two states to maintain the practice. Special Correspondent Tom Casciato looks at the roots of split-jury verdicts and what faces those convicted by them. This segment is part of our series “Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America.”

PRODUCER/CORRESPONDENT/EDITOR
Tom Casciato

CAMERA
Jeff Hutchens
Brad Serreno

FOOTAGE/STILLS:
Keith Amedee
Louisiana Parole Project
The Promise of Justice Initiative

SPECIAL THANKS
Kathleen Hughes

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour


Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe