Lesh v. United States Brief: The Supreme Court Should Abolish the Petty Offense Exception to Constitutionally Required Jury Trials

Matthew Cavedon

Charged with the misdemeanor of unlawfully operating a vehicle on federal lands, social media influencer and outdoorsman David Lesh requested a jury trial. The government successfully opposed that request and the case was tried by a US magistrate judge, who convicted Lesh and then imposed the maximum fine of $5,025 and 160 hours of community service.

The district court affirmed, though it noted that but for the Supreme Court’s recognition of a “petty offense exception,”...