Unanimous jury verdicts
Victor v. Louisiana
In brief
The Supreme Court wiped out the Louisiana ruling (vacated) and sent the case back to the lower court (remanded) in light of Ramos, without deciding whether the Constitution requires a unanimous jury verdict for a serious offense.
- Where it stands
- Case remanded
Remanded · April 27, 2020
- What it’s about
- Errol Victor challenged a jury verdict in which not all jurors agreed, arguing that the Constitution requires unanimous verdicts for serious state crimes.
- Who it affects
- The Supreme Court's order wiped out the Louisiana ruling (vacated) and sent the case back to the Louisiana appeals court (remanded) for reconsideration in light of Ramos.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court wiped out the Louisiana appeals court’s judgment (vacated it) and sent the case back for reconsideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana; it did not decide Victor’s claim.
This was a grant-vacate-remand (GVR) order: the Court accepted the case, wiped out the lower-court ruling (vacated), and sent it back for another look (remanded) without deciding the constitutional question in this case.
Question presented
Whether the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial—as applied to the States through the Fourteenth Amendment—requires a unanimous jury verdict to convict a defendant of a serious offense?
What the Court decided
Holding
Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari granted. Judgment vacated and case remanded for further consideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 U. S. ___ (2020). Justice Alito, concurring in the decision to grant, vacate, and remand: In this and in all other cases in which the Court grants, vacates, and remands in light of Ramos v. Louisiana, I concur in the judgment on the understanding that the Court is not deciding or expressing a view on whether the question was properly raised below but is instead leaving that question to be decided on remand. Justice Thomas would deny the petition for a writ of certiorari.
- Result
- Remanded
What's next
The case was sent back to the Louisiana Court of Appeal (remanded) for further consideration in light of Ramos. That court must decide whether the issue was properly presented in the lower court.
Why it matters
It leaves unresolved whether the jury-unanimity question was properly presented in the lower court and does not decide the case's final result.
Documents
Docket activity
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
New analysis added
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Case data updated: status, opinion_date
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What constitutional issue did Victor v. Louisiana raise?
- It asked whether the Sixth Amendment, applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, requires a unanimous jury verdict for a serious offense.
- What did the Supreme Court do in Victor v. Louisiana?
- It wiped out the Louisiana ruling (vacated) and sent the case back to the lower court (remanded) for reconsideration in light of Ramos.
- Did the Court decide whether a unanimous jury is required?
- No. This procedural order did not decide the constitutional question or determine the case's final result.
- What happens next in Victor v. Louisiana?
- The case was sent back to the Louisiana Court of Appeal (remanded) for reconsideration in light of Ramos. That court must decide whether the issue was properly presented in the lower court.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.