History of THe 6th Amendment:
The Amendment Process
Article 5 of the Constitution states:
"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate."
This article is completely dedicated to specifying the process of how Amendments can be passed and added to the Constitution because the founding fathers knew that changes over time were needed to specify and limit the rights of the citizens of America. The first 10 Amendments made to the Constitution were later named the "Bill of Rights" proposed on June 8, 1789, written by James Madison on September 25, 1789, and were ratified on December 15, 1791. For more information on the Bill of Rights click on the navigation at the bottom of the page.
Meaning of the 6th Amendment
The 6th Amendment in exact words as in the Bill of Rights:
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense."
Essentially the 6th Amendment states and guarantees the rights of the accused in a criminal trial or prosecution. In simpler words the 8 rights are: the right to have a speedy trial, a public trial, must be argued before an impartial jury, the trial must take place in the district and state where the crime occurred, the accused are allowed to hear their charges, must be confronted by their accusers, be given the opportunity to call a witness in their favor, and if can't afford one, must have an appointed attorney by the state to argue for the defendant. The 6th Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights because many citizens of the colonies believed that the trials of England were unfair towards the defending side. The Founding Fathers wanted to establish a fair justice system that incorporated Amendments specifying and given rights to the accused, without unreasonable searches and sentences.
For students it can mean that if you are accused of a crime you have these rights given from the 6th Amendment. By using these rights, you can have a larger advantage during the trial and save yourself from landing into jail. If you are denied these rights you can demand the unfairness of the trial in court and petition to a higher court for another trial. In cases if a defendant asks for a speedy trial they must be given that trial on the date assigned to them. If anything causes an inconvenience that the defendant is not responsible for than they must be set free from charge and released from jail (if they land in jail). For more information on the 6th Amendment go to the go to the Supreme Court Cases page.
Article 5 of the Constitution states:
"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate."
This article is completely dedicated to specifying the process of how Amendments can be passed and added to the Constitution because the founding fathers knew that changes over time were needed to specify and limit the rights of the citizens of America. The first 10 Amendments made to the Constitution were later named the "Bill of Rights" proposed on June 8, 1789, written by James Madison on September 25, 1789, and were ratified on December 15, 1791. For more information on the Bill of Rights click on the navigation at the bottom of the page.
Meaning of the 6th Amendment
The 6th Amendment in exact words as in the Bill of Rights:
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense."
Essentially the 6th Amendment states and guarantees the rights of the accused in a criminal trial or prosecution. In simpler words the 8 rights are: the right to have a speedy trial, a public trial, must be argued before an impartial jury, the trial must take place in the district and state where the crime occurred, the accused are allowed to hear their charges, must be confronted by their accusers, be given the opportunity to call a witness in their favor, and if can't afford one, must have an appointed attorney by the state to argue for the defendant. The 6th Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights because many citizens of the colonies believed that the trials of England were unfair towards the defending side. The Founding Fathers wanted to establish a fair justice system that incorporated Amendments specifying and given rights to the accused, without unreasonable searches and sentences.
For students it can mean that if you are accused of a crime you have these rights given from the 6th Amendment. By using these rights, you can have a larger advantage during the trial and save yourself from landing into jail. If you are denied these rights you can demand the unfairness of the trial in court and petition to a higher court for another trial. In cases if a defendant asks for a speedy trial they must be given that trial on the date assigned to them. If anything causes an inconvenience that the defendant is not responsible for than they must be set free from charge and released from jail (if they land in jail). For more information on the 6th Amendment go to the go to the Supreme Court Cases page.