State of Louisiana v. Brian Douglas Horn

Summary

The Louisiana Supreme Court vacated Brian Horn’s first‑degree murder conviction and death sentence, holding that counsel’s concession of guilt over Horn’s explicit objection violated his Sixth Amendment right to counsel, a structural error requiring reversal. The Court relied on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McCoy v. Louisiana and remanded for a new trial. Justice Weimer, in a concurring opinion, noted that the sufficiency of the evidence is a separate issue to be addressed on remand.