Ohio v. Clark (576 U.S. 237)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 18, 2015 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 576 U.S. 237 · 135 S. Ct. 2173
- Decided
- June 18, 2015
- Term
- October Term 2014
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Alito
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
(Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2014 1 Syllabus NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued. The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U.S. 321 , 337. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Syllabus OHIO v. CLARK CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO No. 13–1352. Argued March 2, 2015—Decided June 18, 2015 Respondent Darius Clark sent his girlfriend away to engage in prosti- tution while he cared for her 3-year-old son L. P. and 18-month-old daughter A. T. When L. P.’s preschool teachers noticed marks on his body, he identified Clark as his abuser. Clark was subsequently tried on multiple counts related to the abuse of both children. At trial, the State introduced L. P.’s statements to his teachers as evidence of Clark’s guilt, but L. P. did not testify. The trial court denied Clark’s motion to exclude the statements under the Sixth Amendment’s Con- frontation Clause. A jury convicted Clark on all but one count. The state appellate court reversed the conviction on Confrontation Clause grounds, and the Supreme Court of Ohio affirmed. Held: The introduction of L. P.’s statements at trial did not violate the Confrontation…
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