Critical Thinking Paper #1

The sixth amendment guarantees an accused the right to a jury trial. In all states except Louisiana and Oregon, an accused can be convicted of a serious crime based on the non-unanimous verdict of a jury. In Ramos v. Louisiana (04/2020), the SCOTUS ruled that the sixth amendment right to a Jury trial requires a unanimous verdict to convict a defendant of a serious offense. 

Discuss the decision of the court in Ramos v. Louisiana. Critically analyze the SCOTUS decision in Ramos v. Louisiana. Do you agree with Justices Gorsuch, Ginsburg, and Breyer, that Apodaca v. Oregon (1972) lacks precedential force? Summarize the dissenting opinion of Justices Alito, Roberts and Kagan. 

Grading Rubric:

Discussion of the Decision: 10 points

Critique of the Decision: 20 points

Critique of Apocada v. Oregon: 10 points

Discussion of the dissenting opinion: 10 points