Amendment Six: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense
This amendment outlines the rights of people accused of crimes. Those rights include a public trial without unnecessary delay with a fair jury and held in the state and district where the crime took place; the accused must be told what they are being tried for; the accused must be able to know of and question witnesses against them and be able to present witnesses in support of their case; and the accused have the right to have a lawyer present their case.
At the time this amendment was written, there was no established procedure for a trial. In addition, a professional police force did not yet exist; instead, citizens tried to inforce the law. Trials were often brought by the victims and no one had a lawyer--most represented themselves. These proceedings usually turned into shouting matches and lasted a few hours. The juries in this system were usually 12 ordinary citizens who had either heard the story secondhand or knew one or both of the defendants.
The framers sought to strengthen this institution. Over the decades and even centuries, professional police were charged with investigating and bringing forth evidence to trials. Juries were randomly selected, judges would follow a set of rules and procedures, and lawyers would be appointed to those who could not afford one.
