Defendant’s Sixth Amendment public trial right requires that jury selection be open to the public.
A. Scalia
Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, No. 07-591, __ U.S. __ (June 25, 2009)
Admission of government lab technicians’ sworn “certificates of analysis” that substance taken from defendant was cocaine violated defendant’s Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause right; the certificates were “affidavits” and within the “core class of testimonial statements” defined in Crawford v. Washington.
Montejo v. Arizona, No. 07-1529, __ U.S. __ (May 26, 2009)
Overrules Michigan v. Jackson holding that once a suspect has claimed the Sixth Amendment right to a lawyer, any later waiver of that right during police questioning would be invalid, unless the suspect initiates communication with the officers.
Arizona v. Gant, No. 07-542, __ U.S. __ (April 21, 2009)
Police may search a vehicle incident to a recent occupant’s arrest only if the arrestee is within reaching distance of the passenger compartment at the time of the search or it is reasonable to believe the vehicle contains evidence of the offense of arrest.