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Sixth Amendment

University of Florida Levin College of Law

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Law

Communication And Competence For Self-Representation, E. Lea Johnston Jan 2016

Communication And Competence For Self-Representation, E. Lea Johnston

UF Law Faculty Publications

In Indiana v. Edwards, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states may impose a higher competency standard for self-representation than to stand trial in criminal cases. While the Court articulated a number of interests relevant to representational competence, it left to states the difficult task of formulating an actual competence standard. This Article offers the first examination and assessment of the constitutionality of state standards post-Edwards. It reveals that seven states have endorsed a representational competence standard with a communication component. Additionally, twenty states have embraced vague, capacious standards that could consider communication skills. States have applied these standards to …


A Criminal Procedure Regime Based On Instrumental Values: A Review Of 'About Guilt And Innocence: The Origins, Development, And Future Of Constitutional Criminal Procedure,' By Donald A. Dripps (Prager Publishers, 2003), Tracey Maclin Jan 2005

A Criminal Procedure Regime Based On Instrumental Values: A Review Of 'About Guilt And Innocence: The Origins, Development, And Future Of Constitutional Criminal Procedure,' By Donald A. Dripps (Prager Publishers, 2003), Tracey Maclin

UF Law Faculty Publications

Like many legal academics, Professor Donald Dripps believes that the Supreme Court's criminal procedure doctrine is a mess. Dripps believes that the Court's doctrine "is in large measure responsible for the failure of the criminal-procedure revolution" and contends that "current doctrine does not reflect prevailing (and justified) values about criminal process." To prove his claim, Dripps has written a book that expertly identifies the flaws, inconsistencies and missteps of the Court's constitutional criminal procedure cases dating back to the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment. "About Guilt and Innocence: The Origins, Development, and Future of Constitutional Criminal Procedure" is a comprehensive …


The Trial As Text: Allegory, Myth And Symbol In The Adversarial Criminal Process - A Critique Of The Role Of The Public Defender And A Proposal For Reform, Kenneth B. Nunn Apr 1995

The Trial As Text: Allegory, Myth And Symbol In The Adversarial Criminal Process - A Critique Of The Role Of The Public Defender And A Proposal For Reform, Kenneth B. Nunn

UF Law Faculty Publications

A position of Federal Defender General should be created to enhance the public image of public defenders. Currently the adversarial system tends to favor prosecutors, making it hard for criminal defendants to obtain a fair trial. Semiotic theory shows how the criminal justice system reflects broader social discourse concerning crime. The defendants' rights are given symbolic representation but are not considered seriously. Criminals are set apart from the rest of society and regarded as undeserving of truly fair representation. The trial can be seen as an allegory demonstrating the guilt of the defendant.