Mayer v. City of Chicago
United States Supreme Court
404 U.S. 189 (1971)
Relevant factsFree
Mayer (defendant) was convicted of city ordinance violations and fined; he petitioned for free trial transcripts to pursue an appeal, but Illinois law provided free transcripts only in felony cases, offering only alternatives to a transcript in non-felony cases. The trial court and state supreme court both denied his request, and Mayer petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of limiting free transcripts to felony defendants.
IssueFree
Whether a state may limit the provision of free transcripts to felony defendants when it cannot show that a defendant will not be denied an effective appeal by some alternative to a transcript.