exception

Legal Experts Rally Behind NCLA at Supreme Court in Challenge Against “Petty-Offense Exception” to Jury Trials

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Washington, D.C. – A significant legal battle is underway as the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has taken a stance against the “petty-offense exception” to the constitutional right to a jury trial, bringing the case before the U.S. Supreme Court. This legal dispute highlights a broader conversation about the rights of defendants and the interpretation of the Sixth Amendment in modern judiciary practices. The case is built around the argument that this exception undermines the fundamental right to a jury trial guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. The NCLA, a non-profit civil rights organization, asserts that … Read more

Supreme Court Urged to Reassess Constitutionality of Jury-Trial Exception for Petty Offenses in Landmark Case

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Washington, D.C. – The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, together with the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, filed a petition on Dec. 13, 2024, for the Supreme Court to consider a case that may realign constitutional interpretation concerning jury trials for petty offenses. The case, known as David Lesh v. United States, challenges a long-standing precedent that denies jury trials to individuals charged with lesser offenses in direct contradiction to the Constitution’s clear text on this right. David Lesh, an entrepreneur and experienced skier who founded the outdoor … Read more