(3/18/19) The United States Supreme Court will consider whether Louisiana allowing non-unanimous verdicts violates a defendants rights to a fair trial.
Voters amended Louisiana’s Constitution to ban non-unanimous verdicts in criminal cases just four months ago.
The high court will consider overturning a criminal conviction by if the jury vote was not unanimous.
At this time, Oregon is the only state that still allows non-unanimous verdicts.
Justices will consider the case of Evangelisto Ramos, who was convicted three years ago of second-degree murder in the killing of a woman in New Orleans.
Ramos is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
The change in Louisiana’s Constitution took effect in January but is of no help to Ramos without court action.
