Melendez-Diaz v. Mass., No. 07-591

Defendant's drug conviction is reversed, where the trial court's admission of the prosecution's certificates by laboratory analysts, stating that material seized by police and connected to Defendant was cocaine of a certain quantity, violated petitioner's Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him.

Read Melendez-Diaz v. Mass., No. 07-591

Appellate Information

Argued November 10, 2008

Decided June 25, 2009

Judges

Scalia, J. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Kennedy, J., filed a dissenting opinion.

Counsel

For Petitioner:

Jeffrey L. Fisher, Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA

For Respondent:  

James J. Arguin, Assistant Attorney General, Boston, MA

Martha Coakley, Attorney General, Boston, MA

Susanne G. Reardon, Office of the Attorney General, Boston, MA