Court Opinion

ID: 9604625
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:24:30.63765+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:23.224045
License: Public Domain

Marshall, Justice,
dissenting.
In my opinion, the citations of authority contained in Division 2 of the majority opinion lead to a different result than that reached by the majority.
As stated in Duncan v. Missouri, supra, the prescribing of different modes of procedure is not considered within the unconstitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws so long as no substantial right of the defendant is withdrawn. Under Thompson v. Utah, supra, trial by a jury of 12 was found to be a substantial right under the Sixth Amendment, and it was therefore held that reduction in the size of Thompson’s jury from 12 to eight was an unconstitutional ex post facto law. Thompson was, however, overruled in Williams v. Florida, supra, in which the court held that a jury of six in a noncapital case is not a denial of the Sixth Amendment right to trial by jury. See Ballew v. Georgia, supra. No question concernning the ex post facto law proscription was involved in Williams.
In any event, it seems clear to me that under the foregoing decisions the reduction in the size of the appellant’s jury from 12 to six did not deprive the appellant of any substantial right and, thus, did not constitute an unconstitutional ex post facto law.
I respectfully dissent from Division 2.
I am authorized to state that Chief Justice Jordan joins in this dissent.