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Maryland v. Craig - Significance, Court Overrides Plain Language Of The Sixth Amendment, Further Readings

william petitioner closed justices

Petitioner

State of Maryland

Respondent

Sandra Ann Craig

Petitioner's Claim

That allowing an alleged victim of child abuse to testify by closed circuit television violates the Sixth Amendment right of criminal defendants to confront their accusers in court.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner

J. Joseph Curran, Jr.

Chief Lawyer for Respondent

William H. Murphy, Jr.

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, Anthony M. Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor (writing for the Court), William H. Rehnquist, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting

William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

27 June 1990

Decision

The Supreme Court found that because the closed circuit procedure did not rule out cross-examination, it satisfied the essential purpose of the Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause.

Related Cases

  • Coy v. Iowa, 487 U.S. 1012 (1988).
  • Idaho v. Wright, 497 U.S. 805 (1990).

Additional Topics

Maryland v. Craig - Further Readings

Maryland v. Craig - Significance

Craig was a significantly different interpretation of the Confrontation Clause. The Court justified going outside the clear meaning of the text by citing the special circumstances of victims of child abuse. Sandra Ann Craig owned and operated a kindergarten and prekindergarten daycare center in Howard County, Maryland. In October of 1986, she was charged by a grand jury with sexually assaulting a …

Maryland v. Craig - Court Overrides Plain Language Of The Sixth Amendment

The section of the Sixth Amendment at issue in Craig's case reads: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to be confronted with the witnesses against him." By the time the Supreme Court heard Craig, it was settled law that the Fourteenth Amendment makes the Confrontation Clause applicable in state courts. Writing for the one-vote majority that upheld the Maryland st…

Massachusetts v. Oakes - Significance, Overbroad Or Not?, Creating A "chilling Effect", Dissension In The Court, Further Readings [next] [back] Martin v. Wilks - Significance, Reverse Discrimination, Further Readings

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over 2 years ago

The following statement in the above text is not correct: "After her conviction was upheld by two state appellate courts, Craig took her case to the U.S. Supreme Court". Please note that the Maryland Supreme Court was unanimous in reversing the lower appellate court decision. It was the prosecution that took it to the U.S. Supreme Court which remanded it back to the state wherein ALL charges were eventually dropped.





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over 3 years ago

Congratulations Sandra Love You