State Of Louisiana v. Michael R. Shorts, Jr.

Supreme Court of Louisiana
December 16, 2025
Chief Deputy Clerk of Court
For the Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana
STATE OF LOUISIANA
VS.
MICHAEL R. SHORTS, JR.
No. 2025-K-00735
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I
N RE: Michael R. Shorts, Jr. - Applicant Defendant; Applying For Writ Of
Certiorari, Parish of Orleans Criminal, Criminal District Court Number(s) 549-715,
Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, Number(s) 2023-KA-0771;
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December 16, 2025
Writ application granted. See per curiam.
Crain, J., dissents.
McCallum, J., dissents.
JLW
JDH
PDG
JMG
CRC
12/16/2025 "See News Release 055 for any Concurrences and/or Dissents."

SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA
No. 2025-K-00735
STATE OF LOUISIANA
VS.
MICHAEL R. SHORTS, JR.
On Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, Parish of Orleans
Criminal
PER CURIAM
Writ g ranted in part. We remand to the court of appeal for evaluation of
defendant’s confrontation clause challenges. The affirming opinion, while
recognizing that defendant raised Sixth Amendment confrontation clause
challenges, only evaluated the testimony as potential hearsay under the Code of
Evidence. The opinion omitted the necessary analysis of the constitutional
dimension of those assignments of error. See State v. Shorts, 23-0771, pp. 7–12 (La.
App. 4 Cir. 5/8/25), ___ So.3d ___ , available at 2025 WL 1341537 , * 4–6. W e
therefore remand to the court of appeal for the purpose of performing that analysis.
In all other respects, the writ is denied.