Ballew v. Georgia
United States Supreme Court
435 U.S. 223 (1978)
Relevant factsFree
Claude Ballew (defendant) managed an adult theater and was charged with distributing obscene materials. Following the trial court's custom for misdemeanor cases, the court empaneled a five-person jury over Ballew's objection and motion for a twelve-person jury. The jury convicted him.
IssueFree
Whether a five-person jury satisfies a criminal defendant's Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment right to a jury trial.