District of Columbia v. Clawans
United States Supreme Court
300 U.S. 617 (1937)

- Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD
Facts
Clawans (defendant) was charged with selling secondhand personal property without a license in the District of Columbia. This offense carried a potential punishment of a $300 fine or up to 90 days in jail. Clawans’s demand for a jury trial was denied. She was convicted and sentenced either to pay a $300 fine or to be confined for 60 days in jail. Clawans appealed. The court of appeals overturned her conviction, holding that she was constitutionally entitled to a jury trial. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Stone, J.)
Dissent (McReynolds, J.)
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