Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog
Professor Friedman has posted several amicus filings for Williams v. Illinois.
You can read the brief of the United States by clicking here. You can read the brief of 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, all under the leadership of Ohio, by clicking here. The National District Attorneys Association has also filed a brief, and I expect there will be at least one more; I will send links for these when I have them.
Find more about this case on SCOTUSBlog, including some amicus for the petitioner.
10-8505, Supreme Court of Illinois, Dec 6, 2011
Issue: Whether a state rule of evidence allowing an expert witness to testify about the results of DNA testing performed by non-testifying analysts violates the Confrontation Clause, when the defendant has no opportunity to confront the actual analysts.
Plain English Issue: Whether a court violates a criminal defendant’s rights under the Confrontation Clause by allowing an expert witness to testify about the results of DNA testing conducted by another analyst who has not appeared as a witness at the trial.