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Criminal Procedure Keyed to Ohlin
McCoy v. Louisiana
Citation:
138 S. Ct. 1500 (2018)Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
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- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
- Topic: Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.
- Parties: Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.
- Procedural Posture & History: Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.
- Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.: A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.
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- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
- Brief Facts: A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.
- Rule of Law: Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.
- Facts: What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case. Review the Facts of this case here:
On May 5, 2008, Christine and Willie young and Gregory Colston were shot and killed in the Youngs’ home in Bossier City, Louisiana. The three victims were the mother, stepfather, and son of Robert McCoy’s estranged wife, Yolanda. Several days later, police arrested McCoy. McCoy was appointed counsel from the public defender’s office. At a July 26, 2011 hearing, McCoy sought to terminate English’s (public defender) representation and English asked to be relieved. With trial set to start two days later, the court refused. At the beginning of his opening statement at the guilt phase of the trial, English told the jury there was no way reasonably possible that they could hear the prosecution’s evidence and reach any other conclusion than Robert McCoy was the cause of these individuals’ death. McCoy protested. McCoy told the court that English was selling him out by maintaining that McCoy murdered his family. The jury returned a verdict of death guilty of first-degree murder on all three counts.
- Issue(s): Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.
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