Martin v. Ohio | |
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Argued December 2, 1986 Decided February 25, 1987 | |
Full case name | Earline Martin, Petitioner v. Ohio |
Docket no. | 85-6461 |
Citations | 480 U.S. 228 (more) 107 S. Ct. 1098; 94 L. Ed. 2d 267; 1987 U.S. LEXIS 933 |
Holding | |
Neither Ohio law violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by shifting to petitioner the State's burden of proving the elements of the crime. | |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | White, joined by Rehnquist, Stevens, O'Connor, Scalia |
Dissent | Powell, joined by Brennan, Marshall (in full); Blackmun (as to Parts I and III) |
Martin v. Ohio, 480 U.S. 228 (1987), is a criminal case in which the United States Supreme Court held that the presumption of innocence requiring prosecution to prove each element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt only applies to elements of the offense, and does not extend to the defense of justification, whereby states could legislate a burden on the defense to prove justification.[1]: 18 The decision was split 5–4.[1]: 18 The decision does not preclude states from requiring such a burden on the prosecution in their laws.[1]: 18