Duncan v. Louisiana

Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U.S. 145 (1968) was a significant United States Supreme Court decision which incorporated the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial and applied it to the states.

Gary Duncan was a 19-year old black youth convicted of assaulting a white man by slapping his elbow during an argument. Lousiana had rejected Duncan's request for a jury trial and imposed a 60 day prison sentence and a fine of $150.

By a 7–2 majority the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Duncan, arguing that the right to a jury trial in criminal cases was fundamental and central to the American conception of justice. As such the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to honor requests for jury trials.

The Court made an exception for "petty crimes", which are defined as those punishable by a maximum of a $500 fine and six months in prison. In such cases, states are not obligated to provide jury trials.