No. 21-993October Term 2021Decided Nov 7, 2022Updated Nov 7, 2022
Anthony v. Louisiana
This case arises from a Louisiana trial for aggravated rape and human trafficking in which the State was allowed to call the grand jury prosecutor as a witness.
Case status
Decided · November 7, 2022
Read the opinion (PDF)- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Nov 7, 2022
- What it's about
This case arises from a Louisiana trial for aggravated rape and human trafficking in which the State was allowed to call the grand jury prosecutor as a witness. Anthony argues that the prosecutor improperly vouched for the accusers, expressed his belief that Anthony was guilty, and gave legal opinions, and that the state court wrongly treated that error as harmless.
Question presented
1. Whether the presumption of innocence, the right to confrontation, and the right to a fair trial permit a court to allow the grand jury prosecutor to take the stand and offer such testimony. 2. Whether the admission of such prosecutorial testimony constitutes structural error or, instead, is subject to harmless error review. 3. Whether a reviewing court’s conclusion that the evidence at trial supports the defendant’s convictions even excluding the grand jury prosecutor’s testimony meets the State’s burden of proving harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Case path
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit / Decision released Nov 7, 2022
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided November 7, 2022
The Court released its decision on November 7, 2022 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
Opinion added: Opinion
Nov 7, 2022 | Court records
Brief added: Petition
Jan 10, 2022 | Court records
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Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology