Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Californian equivalent is article I, sections 15 and 24.
Text
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, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence [sic].
Right to speedy trial
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial
Right to public trial
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial
Right to jury trial
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a . . . 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.
Confrontation Clause
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to be confronted with the witnesses against him.
This clause mandates live witnesses at trial. This affects criminal defense in two main ways.
In-court Appearance of witness
The Supreme Court held in Maryland v. Craig that a witness may give testimony via CCTV.
Out-of-court Testimonial statements
A Crawford or confrontation clause issue is not the same as hearsay, but closely related. The main rule from Crawford v. Washington is that out-of-court testimonial statements must be excluded unless the witness is unavailable and there has been a prior opportunity to cross-examine the witness.