Jeffrey Clyde Pitts v. Mississippi

The Supreme Court vacated the Mississippi Supreme Court's judgment and sent the case back for further review. It said denial of face-to-face confrontation can be evaluated under harmless-error review, meaning a court asks whether the error affected the verdict.

The Court ruled 9–0, with Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kavanaugh, Sotomayor, Alito, Thomas, Kagan, Barrett, Jackson, and Gorsuch in the majority.

The Court issued a per curiam opinion, meaning an opinion issued in the Court's name; no vote count or justice lineup was provided.

Majority

Roberts

Kavanaugh

Sotomayor

Alito

Thomas

Kagan

Barrett

Jackson

Gorsuch

“The Confrontation Clause “guarantees the defendant a face-to-face meeting with witnesses appearing before the trier of fact.””

The decision affects defendants whose witnesses testify behind screens and child witnesses protected from trauma in court. For example, a conviction may not automatically be overturned if a confrontation error did not affect the trial's result.

Mississippi courts must reconsider the case under the Supreme Court's direction. The Supreme Court has finished this docket action.

The Court vacated the Mississippi judgment and returned the case for further review. It said face-to-face confrontation errors can be examined for harmlessness.

Criminal defendants and child witnesses may be affected. Courts may use screens for child witnesses when constitutional requirements are met, then assess any error's effect.

Mississippi courts must reconsider Pitts's case. They must apply the Supreme Court's direction about harmless-error review.