The United States Supreme Court has presided over numerous criminal law cases that have profoundly impacted the American legal system. Here are ten of the most influential criminal law cases decided by the Supreme Court:
1. Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Established the requirement for police to inform suspects of their rights (the Miranda rights), including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, before questioning them.
2. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Held that the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of counsel is a fundamental right, and it requires the states to provide attorneys to defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own attorneys.
3. Mapp v. Ohio (1961): Established the exclusionary rule at the state level, prohibiting evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment (which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures") from being used in state courts.
4. Terry v. Ohio (1968): Upheld the constitutionality of a limited "stop and frisk" by police on the basis of reasonable suspicion, a standard lower than probable cause.
5. Furman v. Georgia (1972): Temporarily halted the death penalty in the U.S., leading to a de facto moratorium until the death penalty was reinstated under different statutes.
6. Gregg v. Georgia (1976): Upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty in the United States, ending the moratorium initiated by Furman v. Georgia, under revised state death penalty statutes.
7. Roe v. Wade (1973): Although primarily known for its implications on abortion rights, this decision also had criminal law implications, as it struck down many state laws criminalizing abortion.
8. Escobedo v. Illinois (1964): Held that criminal suspects have a right to counsel during police interrogations, building on the right to counsel guaranteed by Gideon v. Wainwright.
9. Katz v. United States (1967): Expanded the Fourth Amendment's privacy protections to include all areas where a person has a "reasonable expectation of privacy," which fundamentally altered the scope of privacy rights.
10. Batson v. Kentucky (1986): Ruled that a prosecutor's use of a peremptory challenge in a criminal case may not be used to exclude jurors based solely on their race.
These cases collectively have defined and redefined critical aspects of criminal law in the United States, particularly regarding the rights of defendants, the procedures of law enforcement, and the application of the death penalty.
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