In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358 (1970), was a United States Supreme Court decision that held that "the Due Process Clause protects the accused against conviction except upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt of every fact necessary to constitute the crime charged."[1]: 17 It established this burden in all cases in all states (constitutional case).[1]: 17
| In re Winship | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued January 20, 1970 Decided March 31, 1970 | |
| Full case name | In the Matter of Samuel Winship, Appellant |
| Citations | 397 U.S. 358 (more) 90 S. Ct. 1068; 25 L. Ed. 2d 368; 51 O.O.2d 323; 1970 U.S. LEXIS 56 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | 91 N.Y.S.2d 1005 (App. Div. 1968), aff'd, 247 N.E.2d 253 (N.Y. 1969). |
| Holding | |
| The Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause requires that every element of a criminal offense be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, instead of the preponderance of the evidence standard used heretofore in juvenile court. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brennan, joined by Douglas, Harlan, White, Marshall |
| Concurrence | Harlan |
| Dissent | Burger, joined by Stewart |
| Dissent | Black |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. XIV | |
In an opinion authored by Justice Brennan, the Court held that when a juvenile is charged with an act that would be a crime if committed by an adult, every element of the offense must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, not preponderance of the evidence.[2] The case has come to stand for a broader proposition, however: in a criminal prosecution, every essential element of the offense must be proved beyond reasonable doubt. See, e.g., Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 477 (2000); Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 278 (1993).[3] This case marked a rejection of the preponderance of evidence standard in any criminal cases and expanded the protections afforded by the Due Process Clause.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Criminal Law - Cases and Materials, 7th ed. 2012, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business; John Kaplan, Robert Weisberg, Guyora Binder, ISBN 978-1-4548-0698-1, [1]
- ^ Varat, J.D. et al. Constitutional Law Cases and Materials, Concise Thirteenth Edition. Foundation Press, New York, NY: 2009, p. 356
- ^ Varat, p. 357
- ^ "The Restoration of In re Winship: A Comment on Burdens of Persuasion in Criminal Cases After Patterson v. New York". Michigan Law Review. January 26, 2022.
External links
edit- Text of In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358 (1970) is available from: CourtListener Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress
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