"The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects people who have been accused of crimes. It ensures American citizens can receive a "speedy and public trial . . . by an impartial jury." It also ensures that trials will be held in the state in which the alleged crime occurred. Perhaps most significant, the Sixth Amendment says people have a right to a lawyer, even if they can't afford it. The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a trial by...

The fact that individuals accused of a crime are innocent until proven guilty and safeguarded by a robust set of rights and protections is one of the things that sets the United States apart from many other nations. According to the Sixth Amendment, individuals accused of crimes have a number of important rights, including the right to a speedy trial, to a jury of peers, to be informed of the charges against them, to an attorney and witnesses in their...