6th Amendment Summary
The sixth amendment shows the rights given to a
person under arrest. It gives every person an equal opportunity to just
consequences, ensuring an honorable republic. According to this amendment, a
person under arrest has the right to a trial overseen by members of the local
and state public whom hold no assumed bias toward or against the suspect; the
person has the right to know the causes of their arrest and the accusations
being held against them; the person has the right to be tried with honest
witnesses, whom must justly use their acquired knowledge to help persuade the
jury to one conclusion or another; and the person has the right to choose
witnesses and the right to assistance in trial to benefit his/her case of
defense. All of these provisions give the accused the ultimate right to freedom
of consequence to unjust accusation, the right to regain their honor under
false suspicion. With equal opportunity to just verdicts, a further protection
of the public is ensured as those deserved receive their just sentence
administered by an honest court of law.
These seven rights of the sixth amendment ensure
a fair process of trial. A speedy trial is imposed to prevent the possibility
of a court leaving a suspect in jail for months without a trial. A public trial
basically implies a protection against corrupt individuals imparting a trial in
private. The clause that focuses on the citizen’s right to knowing their
accusation is also known as the Arraignment Clause. This clause protects the
citizens from corrupt violations stemming from little to no reason. The
Confrontation Clause, which ensures a citizen’s right to see their witnesses,
protects the accused of false accounts made by corrupt individuals. Sir Walter
Raleigh was even put to death without this protection under the British court.
The Compulsory Process Clause which protects the citizen’s right to chosen
witnesses and assistance further implements the liberty of the accused. And
finally, the last clause of the amendment, also known as the Right to Counsel
Clause, ensures the right to a defending attorney. It was not the Founders’
intent to provide to ensure this specific right, as most accused would defend
themselves at the time of its writing, but it was meant to protect the
citizen’s right to an attorney, if simply desired. With these rights, the
accused is given equal protection under the law to be treated fairly, justly,
and equally under a court of law.
