The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law.” The Sixth Amendment goes on to preserve other rights for criminal defendants, but says nothing else about what a “trial by an impartial jury” entails.

The United States Supreme Court has held that the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial—which also applies to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment—requires a unanimous verdict to convict a defendant of a serious offense in state or federal court. A serious offense is generally a felony offense, or a misdemeanor in which the defendant may be sentenced to a year or more in jail or prison.

In Ohio, as in all states, the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of a 'speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury' is upheld. This means that in Ohio, anyone accused of a crime has the right to have their case heard by a jury of their peers, which must be unbiased and representative of the community. The requirement for a unanimous verdict to convict a defendant of a serious offense, as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court, is also applicable in Ohio. A serious offense typically refers to felonies, which are more severe crimes that may result in imprisonment for over one year, and certain misdemeanors that carry similar potential sentences. Ohio's legal system ensures that these constitutional protections are respected, and any deviation from these standards can be grounds for appeal and potential overturning of a conviction.