Courthouse Steps Decision: McCoy v. Louisiana
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Description
Robert McCoy was charged with the murder of three of his family members in Bossier City, Louisiana. The state brought capital charges against him, but McCoy maintained his innocence –...
show moreThe Supreme Court has just issued a decision holding, 6-3, that it was unconstitutional for McCoy’s lawyer to admit guilt to the jury over McCoy’s express objection. The Court noted that whether to admit guilt is not a strategic question about how to achieve a client’s objectives, but a fundamental question about what a client’s objectives actually are. Therefore, the Sixth Amendment guarantees that the defendant, not his lawyer, has the final say on this question, and that McCoy must receive a new trial in which his attorney will defend his professed innocence and put the state to its burden of proof.
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Author | The Federalist Society |
Organization | The Federalist Society |
Website | - |
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