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Full-Text Articles in Law

No Execution If Four Justices Object, Eric M. Freedman Jan 2015

No Execution If Four Justices Object, Eric M. Freedman

Hofstra Law Review

Under longstanding Supreme Court practice, a certiorari petition is granted if four Justices vote to do so. But such success may be of little value if the petitioner is a capital prisoner whose litigation adversary, the government, has chosen to set an execution date. Five votes are needed to stay an execution. In capital cases under warrant, then, a prisoner may be executed notwithstanding the decision of the Court to review his or her case.

This sometimes-fatal anomaly has for more than 30 years been the subject of frictions among the Justices, critical commentary by the profession, and visible and …


Virginia’S Redefinition Of The “Future Dangerousness” Aggravating Factor: Unprecedented, Unfounded, And Unconstitutional , Lara D. Gass Jun 2013

Virginia’S Redefinition Of The “Future Dangerousness” Aggravating Factor: Unprecedented, Unfounded, And Unconstitutional , Lara D. Gass

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Virtues Of Thinking Small, Corinna Barrett Lain Jan 2013

The Virtues Of Thinking Small, Corinna Barrett Lain

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.


The American Death Penalty: Constitutional Regulation As The Distinctive Feature Of American Exceptionalism, Jordan M. Steiker Jan 2013

The American Death Penalty: Constitutional Regulation As The Distinctive Feature Of American Exceptionalism, Jordan M. Steiker

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.


Tinkering With Life: A Look At The Inappropriateness Of Life Without Parole As An Alternative To The Death Penalty, Ashley Nellis Jan 2013

Tinkering With Life: A Look At The Inappropriateness Of Life Without Parole As An Alternative To The Death Penalty, Ashley Nellis

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.


Innocence And Its Impact On The Reassessment Of The Utility Of Capital Punishment: Has Time Come To Abolish The Ultimate Sanction?, Vincent R. Jones, Bruce Wilson Jan 2013

Innocence And Its Impact On The Reassessment Of The Utility Of Capital Punishment: Has Time Come To Abolish The Ultimate Sanction?, Vincent R. Jones, Bruce Wilson

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.


Executing Equity: The Broad Judicial Discretion To Stay The Execution Of Death Sentences, Rebecca R. Sklar Jan 2012

Executing Equity: The Broad Judicial Discretion To Stay The Execution Of Death Sentences, Rebecca R. Sklar

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.


An Unanswered Question In Kennedy V. Louisiana: How Should The Supreme Court Determine The Constitutionality Of The Death Penalty For Espionage?, Sarah Frances Cable May 2010

An Unanswered Question In Kennedy V. Louisiana: How Should The Supreme Court Determine The Constitutionality Of The Death Penalty For Espionage?, Sarah Frances Cable

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.


Kennedy And The Tail Of Minos, J. Richardson Broughton May 2009

Kennedy And The Tail Of Minos, J. Richardson Broughton

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.


Cultural Competency In Capital Mitigation, Scharlette Holdman, Christopher Seeds Jan 2008

Cultural Competency In Capital Mitigation, Scharlette Holdman, Christopher Seeds

Hofstra Law Review

Cultural factors so pervasively influence the interactions of the client with other people - including all of those with whom he comes into contact at significant times in his life (e.g. in educational, medical, and correctional institutions), those surrounding him in the community in which he develops, and, critically, the members of the defense team - that it is imperative for the defense team to have the talents necessary to conduct a mitigation investigation that is culturally competent. The investigation must recognize and surmount an array of barriers, overt and subtle, to obtaining information from people of variegated backgrounds. As …


Evolving Standards Of Decency: Advancing The Nature And Logic Of Capital Mitigation, Craig Haney Jan 2008

Evolving Standards Of Decency: Advancing The Nature And Logic Of Capital Mitigation, Craig Haney

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

The article builds on converging lines of research in the social sciences that have constructed a framework which conceptualizes the roots of violent behavior as extending beyond the personality or character structure of those people who perform it, connecting it historically to the brutalizing experiences they have commonly shared as well as the immediately precipitating situations in which their violence transpires.

The piece explains how to translate these insights into the collection and presentation of …


Using The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases To Change The Picture In Post-Conviction, Mark E. Olive, Russell Stetler Jan 2008

Using The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases To Change The Picture In Post-Conviction, Mark E. Olive, Russell Stetler

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

As the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases reprinted in 31 Hofstra L. Rev. 913 (2003) detail, success in capital post-conviction proceedings will depend not just on the quality of the legal arguments counsel advance but, probably more critically, on counsel's skill at changing the picture that has previously been presented. The old facts and legal arguments - those which resulted in a conviction and imposition of …


Competent Capital Representation: The Necessity Of Knowing And Heeding What Jurors Tell Us About Mitigation, John H. Blume, Sheri Lynn Johnson, Scott E. Sundby Jan 2008

Competent Capital Representation: The Necessity Of Knowing And Heeding What Jurors Tell Us About Mitigation, John H. Blume, Sheri Lynn Johnson, Scott E. Sundby

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

Capital defense counsel have a duty at every stage of the case to take advantage of all appropriate opportunities to argue why death is not a suitable punishment for their particular client. But that duty can hardly be discharged effectively if the arguments are made in ignorance of available information concerning how persuasive they are likely to be to their audience.

Heeding that simple proposition we present lessons from the work of the Capital Jury …


The Indispensable Role Of The Mitigation Specialist In A Capital Case: A View From The Federal Bench, Helen G. Berrigan Jan 2008

The Indispensable Role Of The Mitigation Specialist In A Capital Case: A View From The Federal Bench, Helen G. Berrigan

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

Writing from the perspective of a federal trial judge, the author, who is Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, describes the crucial importance of mitigation development in the trial of a capital case in accordance with the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases reprinted in 31 Hofstra L. Rev. 913 (2003) and the Supplementary Guidelines that are the subject …


The Aba And The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Robin M. Maher Jan 2008

The Aba And The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Robin M. Maher

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

This article, whose author is the Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project, places the Supplementary Guidelines in the context of the ABA's work in the death penalty field. The ABA does not oppose capital punishment but does favor justice. Hence the organization has long insisted that any jurisdiction desiring to retain execution as a criminal sanction provide high quality defense representation in accordance with the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of …


When Life Depends On It: Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Sean D. O'Brien Jan 2008

When Life Depends On It: Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Sean D. O'Brien

Hofstra Law Review

The Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Capital Defense Teams are the culmination of three years of work coordinated by the Public Interest Litigation Clinic (PILC) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in cooperation with seasoned capital litigators and mitigation specialists across the United States. This article describes the Supplementary Guidelines and the process by which they were researched and developed. Part I describes the Supplementary Guidelines and the process by which they were researched and developed. Part II describes the reasons for undertaking this project. Part III describes the process of investigating, researching and drafting …


A Former Alabama Appellate Judge's Perspective On The Mitigation Function In Capital Cases, William M. Bowen Jr. Jan 2008

A Former Alabama Appellate Judge's Perspective On The Mitigation Function In Capital Cases, William M. Bowen Jr.

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

The article, based on the author's eighteen years of service on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, explicates how the collection and presentation of mitigation evidence in accordance with the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases reprinted in 31 Hofstra L. Rev. 913 (2003) and the Supplementary Guidelines that are the subject of this issue enable appellate courts to make reliable decisions in capital cases. Recounting his …


The Importance Of Recognizing Trauma Throughout Capital Mitigation Investigations And Presentations, Kathleen Wayland Jan 2008

The Importance Of Recognizing Trauma Throughout Capital Mitigation Investigations And Presentations, Kathleen Wayland

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

A PhD. in psychology, the author formerly served on the faculty of Duke University Medical Center, where her primary emphasis was on traumatic stress syndromes and the psychological consequences of chronic exposure to interpersonal violence. For the last fifteen years she has been assisting capital defender organizations in integrating mental health themes into mitigation narratives. This article presents the current state of scientific knowledge about trauma, treating the subject from these dual perspectives.

The inevitable …


Getting It Right: Life History Investigation As The Foundation For A Reliable Mental Health Assessment, Richard G. Dudley Jr., Pamela Blume Leonard Jan 2008

Getting It Right: Life History Investigation As The Foundation For A Reliable Mental Health Assessment, Richard G. Dudley Jr., Pamela Blume Leonard

Hofstra Law Review

This article appears in the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases.

As the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases reprinted in 31 Hofstra L. Rev. 913 (2003) and the Supplementary Guidelines that are the subject of this issue both emphasize, capital defense counsel must select appropriate non-legal team members and provide them with strategic direction. It is simply ineffective assistance for counsel to permit a mental health assessment of the client to occur before having made a reasoned …


Introduction: Re-Stating The Standard Of Practice For Death Penalty Counsel: The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Eric M. Freedman Jan 2008

Introduction: Re-Stating The Standard Of Practice For Death Penalty Counsel: The Supplementary Guidelines For The Mitigation Function Of Defense Teams In Death Penalty Cases, Eric M. Freedman

Hofstra Law Review

This is the Introduction to the Hofstra Law Review symposium issue on the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams in Death Penalty cases, and summarizes its thirteen articles.

A central - indeed, arguably the central - duty of defense counsel in a capital case is to humanize the client in the eyes of those who will decide his fate. The daunting task of imagining, collecting, and presenting such mitigation evidence pervades counsel's responsibilities from themoment of detention on potentially capital charges to the instant of execution.

A truly multi-disciplinary team, with skills in eliciting and documenting sensitive …


Mitigation Abroad: Preparing A Successful Case For Life For The Foreign National Client, Gregory J. Kuykendall, Alicia Amezcua-Rodriguez, Mark Warren Jan 2008

Mitigation Abroad: Preparing A Successful Case For Life For The Foreign National Client, Gregory J. Kuykendall, Alicia Amezcua-Rodriguez, Mark Warren

Hofstra Law Review

Many capital defendants are foreign nationals; their representation both presents special challenges and offers special opportunities. In accordance with the ABA's Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases reprinted in 31 Hofstra L. Rev. 913 (2003) and the Supplementary Guidelines that are the subject of this issue, competent counsel must handle both effectively. Our article provides a detailed primer for accomplishing this.

A foreign country may acknowledge a person as a national on a basis that is not intuitively obvious to American counsel. If so, the person may be entitled to rights under both …


The Chilling Effect That The Threat Of Sanctions Can Have On Effective Representation In Capital Cases, Richard P. Mauro Jan 2007

The Chilling Effect That The Threat Of Sanctions Can Have On Effective Representation In Capital Cases, Richard P. Mauro

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Gideons And The Gallows: Against The "Typical Juror" Standard In Capital Cases, Johnny Hutchinson Jan 2007

The Gideons And The Gallows: Against The "Typical Juror" Standard In Capital Cases, Johnny Hutchinson

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.


A Grand Slam Of Professional Irresponsibility And Judicial Disregard, Stephen A. Saltzburg Jan 2006

A Grand Slam Of Professional Irresponsibility And Judicial Disregard, Stephen A. Saltzburg

Hofstra Law Review

Many examples of bad lawyering and indifferent judicial responses to bad lawyering concern those who seek to raise the standards of professional conduct and assure adequate legal representation for all clients. This article discusses one case (a death penalty prosecution of William Charles Payton for rape, murder and attempted murder in 1981) to illustrate just how poor the performance of lawyers can be and how largely indifferent judges often are to such performances. With the defendant's life on the line, it appears that none of the legally trained professionals at trial did what professional standards required of them. The prosecutor …


Money Talks: An Indigent Defendant's Right To An Ex Parte Hearing For Expert Funding, Justin B. Shane Mar 2005

Money Talks: An Indigent Defendant's Right To An Ex Parte Hearing For Expert Funding, Justin B. Shane

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.


Smith V. Texas 125 S. Ct. 400 (2004) Mar 2005

Smith V. Texas 125 S. Ct. 400 (2004)

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.


United States V. Barnette 393 F.3d 775 (4th Cir. 2004) Mar 2005

United States V. Barnette 393 F.3d 775 (4th Cir. 2004)

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.


Mchone V. Polk 392 F.3d 691 (4th Cir. 2004) Mar 2005

Mchone V. Polk 392 F.3d 691 (4th Cir. 2004)

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.


Ask And The Commonwealth Shall Receive: The Imbalance Of Virginia's Mental Health Expert Statute, Mark J. Goldsmith Mar 2005

Ask And The Commonwealth Shall Receive: The Imbalance Of Virginia's Mental Health Expert Statute, Mark J. Goldsmith

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.


Death By Ambush: A Plea For Discovery Of Evidence In Aggravation, Tamara L. Graham Mar 2005

Death By Ambush: A Plea For Discovery Of Evidence In Aggravation, Tamara L. Graham

Capital Defense Journal

No abstract provided.