Unanimous jury verdicts
Johnson v. Louisiana
In brief
The Court did not decide Johnson's jury-unanimity claim; it wiped out the Louisiana judgment (vacated) and sent the case back for reconsideration (remanded) in light of Ramos.
- Where it stands
- Case remanded
Remanded · April 27, 2020
- What it’s about
- Horatio Johnson challenged Louisiana’s use of a nonunanimous jury verdict for a serious criminal conviction.
- Who it affects
- The Louisiana appeals court must reconsider the case in light of Ramos, and the Supreme Court did not decide Johnson's constitutional claim. Justice Alito said the lower court must also decide whether Johnson properly raised the issue below.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court wiped out the Louisiana appeals court’s judgment and sent the case back for another look (a grant-vacate-remand, or GVR) in light of Ramos v. Louisiana, without deciding Johnson’s constitutional claim.
The order connects Johnson's case to Ramos v. Louisiana but is not a new Supreme Court decision on Johnson's constitutional question.
Question presented
Whether the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial—as incorporated against the States by the Fourteenth Amendment—requires a unanimous 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.
- Result
- Remanded
What's next
The Louisiana appeals court will reconsider the case in light of Ramos and decide whether Johnson properly raised the issue below. The Supreme Court's order does not set the final outcome.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
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New analysis added
Case data updated: status, opinion_date
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What was Johnson v. Louisiana about?
- Johnson challenged Louisiana's nonunanimous jury verdict for a serious conviction under the Sixth Amendment, applied to states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
- What did the Supreme Court do in Johnson v. Louisiana?
- It wiped out the Louisiana appeals court's judgment (vacated) and sent the case back for another look (remanded) in light of Ramos.
- What remains unresolved in Johnson v. Louisiana?
- The Supreme Court did not decide whether Johnson properly raised the issue below or whether his constitutional claim succeeds.
- What happens next in Johnson v. Louisiana?
- The Louisiana appeals court will reconsider the case in light of Ramos and decide whether Johnson properly raised the issue below.
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.