Also known as: jail · jails · gaol
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A place where persons awaiting trial or those convicted of misdemeanors are confined.
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Jordan Jenkins faced a misdemeanor charge carrying a possible jail term. The court imposed a suspended sentence of thirty days. Because the sentence could result in actual deprivation of liberty, Jordan received appointed counsel for the proceedings.
Jason Jung was tried for simple battery after a bar fight. The potential penalty included up to six months in jail. The court therefore granted his demand for a jury trial under the Sixth Amendment.
Jose Jimenez stood trial for a misdemeanor carrying a jail term. The prosecution bore the burden of proving every element beyond a reasonable doubt. The court instructed the jury accordingly before any confinement could be ordered.
Justin Jarvis and a codefendant were held in the same county jail. The prosecution sought to introduce the codefendant's out-of-court statement implicating Justin. The court excluded the statement to protect Justin's confrontation rights at trial.
Jerome Jackson spent four months in jail awaiting sentencing after conviction. The court applied the guidelines and credited the time served against the final term. The resulting sentence reflected the mandatory adjustments required by the ruling.
Jeffrey Jha challenged a privately operated jail's restriction on religious literature. The facility performed a traditional public function under state contract. The court therefore subjected the policy to constitutional scrutiny as state action.
A suspended jail sentence triggers the right because it may result in actual deprivation of liberty. The Sixth Amendment therefore requires counsel in such misdemeanor prosecutions.
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No right to appointed counsel exists in misdemeanor cases when no imprisonment is actually imposed. The constitutional requirement turns on whether incarceration occurs.
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Time spent in jail awaiting trial is credited against any sentence ultimately imposed. This credit prevents double punishment for the same period of confinement.
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…us, No. 584, California v. Stewart , police held four persons, who were in the defendant's house at the time of the arrest, in jail for five days until defendant confessed. At that time they were finally released. Police stated that there was "no evidence to connect them with any crime." Available statistics on the…