State prosecutors need unanimous jury verdicts to convict criminal defendants of serious offenses at trial, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a dispute that fixes what criminal justice advocates had long-assailed as the injustice of allowing split verdicts.
Delivering Monday’s historic decision with a quirky lineup in tow, Justice Neil Gorsuch was joined to varying extents by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Brett Kavanaugh. Justice Clarence Thomas concurred in the judgment. Justice Samuel Alito dissented, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and partially by Justice Elena Kagan.
Advocates lauded the ruling, even if it came too ...