This Just In: Louisiana’s Unanimous Jury Sysytem Overruled

Supreme Court of the United States Issues Landmark Ruling – Sixth Amendment Guarantee of Unanimous Verdicts Apply to State Criminal Trials

In a ruling that will undoubtedly affect the criminal justice system in Louisiana, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark ruling today in Ramos v. Louisiana. Justice Neil Gorsuch announced the judgment of the Court and issued the opinion for the majority.

The Court overturned a previous decision which Louisiana (along with Oregon) relied upon in order to not require a unanimous verdict when convicting a citizen of a crime. All other 48 state courts and all federal courts require unanimous verdicts to convict.

The Court held that the Sixth Amendment requires a jury to reach a unanimous verdict in order to convict. This decision will immediately affect all pending felony cases in Louisiana as well as any convictions that are not yet final or that are on direct review if they involve a conviction reached by non-unanimous verdict.

If you believe that you or a loved one could benefit from this decision, call us today for a free consultation.

. Andrew Bevinetto is an experienced attorney who focuses his practice on defending citizens when their civil liberties are threatened. Mr. Bevinetto was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from St. Paul’s School in Covington, Louisiana in 2008. In 2012, Mr. Bevinetto earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. After completing his undergraduate education, Mr. Bevinetto attended the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor and a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law. While in law school, Mr. Bevinetto served on the Executive Board of the Student Bar Association.