← All guides

Sixth Amendment Legal Guides

5 guides covering Sixth Amendment topics, each with CaseDiver search beside the article.

• Counsel During Trial Recess: Geders, Perry, and Beyond

  Geders forbids barring overnight consultation with counsel; Perry allows limited restrictions during short recesses. This guide explains Sixth Amendment counsel-access rules at trial.

• Crawford and the Confrontation Clause Today

  Crawford v. Washington rewrote Confrontation Clause doctrine around testimonial hearsay and cross-examination. This guide traces Crawford through Davis, Melendez-Diaz, Bullcoming, Williams, and Smith.

• Smith v. Arizona and Forensic Expert Confrontation

  Smith v. Arizona clarifies when forensic experts may recount absent analysts’ testing under the Confrontation Clause. This guide situates Smith with Melendez-Diaz, Bullcoming, and Williams.

• Speedy Trial Rights After Barker and Betterman

  Barker v. Wingo sets the balancing test for Sixth Amendment speedy-trial claims; Betterman limits the right to the period before conviction. Learn how the framework works.

• Strickland and Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

  Strickland v. Washington established the two-prong test for ineffective assistance: deficient performance and prejudice. This guide explains the standard and related Sixth Amendment counsel cases.