Criminal Procedure Commons^™

Public Defenders, Local Control, And Brown V. Board Of Education, Russell C. Gabriel

Mercer Law Review

The topics the Mercer Law Review Symposium addresses-race, history, criminal law, and the South-have a long reach across time, place, and the spectrum of justice. It is both temptingly easy and distressfully complicated to disentangle the strands of the Southern tapestry, woven from past to present. The theory of this Essay is the easy part. Evaluating the correctness of the theory is more complicated. I am indebted to Mercer Law Review for inviting the effort.

When the United States Supreme Court decided Gideon v. Wainright' and told the states that they were required to provide lawyers to poor defendants accused …

In Search Of The Beloved Community, Robert L. Rhodes Jr., Tremaine Reese

Mercer Law Review

This Article describes the process by which the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice (Georgia Appleseed) has engaged Georgians in crucial conversations about critical issues concerning the relationship among law enforcement officers and the community members they serve. We also discuss how Georgia Appleseed is working to have the content of these conversations foster change to law and policy designed to enhance police community relations.

This is a story half told. As of the date of publication of this Article, the fact-gathering and legal research described below will have been completed and public advocacy for change will have commenced. …

How The Narrative About Louisiana's Non-Unanimous Criminal Jury System Became A Person Of Interest In The Case Against Justice In The Deep South, Angela A. Allen-Bell

Mercer Law Review

Stories are central to what lawyers do; yet, to the average member of the legal community, they exist only inconspicuously. In actuality, all cases start with a story. As lawyers do their work, that initial story grows and evolves. When judges enter the picture, the story is revised and, ultimately, the final chapter is written; then, the process begins again with an entirely different cast of characters. This Article advocates against impersonal, mechanized systems of justice that are built upon defendants, dockets, cases, quotas, formulas, and rapidity. This Article calls for the justice community to see cases in a highly …

Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Rosemary Cakmis

Mercer Law Review

The sentencing decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 2014 focused on United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG, or the Guidelines) enhancements applied in connection with economic, drug, immigration, firearm, and sex-related offenses. This Survey first discusses the precedential decisions dealing with enhancements that only apply to a specific type of offense, such as an economic, drug, or sex-related offense, and are found in Chapter Two of the United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual (the Guidelines Manual). Next, this Survey examines decisions reviewing the "Adjustments" in Chapter Three of the Guidelines Manual, which apply to any …

Mitya Karamazov Gives The Supreme Court An Onion: The Role Of Confessions, Amy D. Ronner

Mercer Law Review

Part II summarizes seminal United States Supreme Court confession cases. The Court has a longstanding hate-love relationship with confessions: while it believes that such evidence can valuably assist the truth-finding process, it has at times questioned its reliability and mistrusted coercive methods used for extraction. The Court's express goal under the Due Process Clause and Miranda v. Arizona is to ensure that confessions are the product of a free and rational choice. Although the Sixth Amendment and accompanying case law explicitly aim to protect the integrity of the adversarial process, freedom and rationality also (but more subtly) undergird the reasoning. …

The Guiding Hand Of Counsel: Effective Representation For Indigent Defendants In The Cordele Judicial Circuit, Lesley Rowe

Mercer Law Review

The right to be heard would be, in many cases, of little avail if it did not comprehend the right to be heard by counsel. Even the intelligent and educated layman has small and sometimes no skill in the science of law.... He lacks both the skill and knowledge adequately to prepare his defense, even though he had a perfect one. He requires the guiding hand of counsel at every step in the proceedings against him. Without it, though he be not guilty, he faces the danger of conviction because he does not know how to establish his innocence. If …

Death Penalty, Josh D. Moore

Mercer Law Review

The Georgia Supreme Court addressed two death sentences on direct appeal in this survey period, affirming both of them, and addressed four more death penalty cases at various stages of collateral review, leaving death sentences intact in all but one case. Claims of ineffective assistance of counsel frequently dominated the court's discussion of these cases, playing a central role in all but two of them. The court, however, also addressed some important issues touching on mental-health evaluations and evidence, lethal injection, death qualification, and victim-impact testimony

Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Charles E. Cox Jr.

Mercer Law Review

Each year the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issue numerous decisions concerning the rights afforded to criminal defendants by the United States Constitution. This Article surveys selected Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court decisions issued in 2013 that will likely be of interest to criminal law practitioners.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Rosemary Cakmis

Mercer Law Review

In recent years, the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG, or the Guidelines) for offenses involving drugs, immigration, fraud and theft, and firearms have consistently been applied more frequently at federal sentencings than any other primary offense guidelines. The Guidelines allow for consequential enhancements, many related to victims and criminal history. These Guidelines, especially the enhancements, dominated the precedential guideline decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 2013. This Article focuses on the recurring issues in those decisions.

Permissive Discrimination: How Committing A Crime Makes You A Criminal In Georgia, Luke Caselman

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Suspects Beware: Silence In Response To Police Questioning Could Prove As Fatal As A Confession, Larissa L. Ollivierre

Mercer Law Review

The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution' provides that "[nlo person shall be . . . compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself."' The Fifth Amendment guarantees a right against government-compelled self-incrimination. A person may invoke the right against self-incrimination when he believes he is being forced by a government official to implicate himself in any crime, and his belief is reasonable considering his situation. If his belief is reasonable, he is not required to answer the incriminating question, and he cannot be punished for refusing to answer.

The right to remain silent, as declared …

Cold Comfort Food: A Systematic Examination Of The Rituals And Rights Of The Last Meal, Sarah Gerwig-Moore

Articles

Last meals are a resilient ritual accompanying executions in the United States. Yet states vary considerably in the ways they administer last meals. This paper explores the recent decision in Texas to abolish the tradition altogether. It seeks to understand, through consultation of historical and contemporary sources, what the ritual signifies. We then go on to analyze execution procedures in all 35 of the states that allowed executions in 2010, and show that last meal allowances are paradoxically at their most expansive in states traditionally associated with high rates of capital punishment (Texas now being the exception to that rule.) …

Death Penalty, Josh D. Moore

Mercer Law Review

The Georgia Supreme Court addressed numerous cases touching on the death penalty in our survey period, including the review of four death sentences on direct appeal in Ellington v. State, Rice v. State, Barrett v. State, and Brockman v. State. Three of the death sentences reviewed on direct appeal were affirmed and one was reversed. The court also reversed the decision of a habeas court to vacate a death sentence in Humphrey v. Riley. Several other cases involving the death penalty at various stages of trial were also decided and will be addressed further as …

Federal Criminal Discovery Reform: A Legislative Approach, Bruce A. Green

Mercer Law Review

Suppose that federal prosecutors have conducted an investigation culminating in an indictment. Although the prosecutors believe that they have enough evidence to secure a conviction and are personally convinced that the defendant is guilty, some of the evidence they have collected is favorable to the defendant, because it tends to show that the defendant is innocent or that prosecution witnesses should not be believed. Must prosecutors disclose the favorable evidence to defense counsel to use in investigating, advising the defendant, plea negotiations, or trial? Under current federal law, the answer is generally "no." Unless favorable evidence falls within one of …

The Proposed Fairness In Disclosure Of Evidence Act Of 2012: More Cons Than Pros With Proposed Disclosure Requirements In Federal Criminal Cases, Jacquelyn Smith

Mercer Law Review

The proposed Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act of 2012 (the Act) is a proposal of uniform standards for disclosing evidence in federal criminal cases that was introduced on March 15, 2012 by Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.' The Act's stated purpose is: "To require the attorney for the Government to disclose favorable information to the defendant in criminal prosecutions brought by the United States, and for

Subverting Brady V. Maryland And Denying A Fair Trial: Studying The Schuelke Report, Bennett L. Gershman

Mercer Law Review

The Schuelke Report about the ill-fated federal prosecution of the late-Senator Ted Stevens is an extraordinary contribution to criminal procedure. No other official documentation or investigative study of a criminal prosecution, to my knowledge, has dissected and analyzed as carefully and thoroughly the sordid and clandestine actions of a team of prosecutors who zealously wanted to win a criminal conviction at all costs. In examining this Report, one gets the feeling that as the investigation and prosecution of Senator Stevens unfolded and the prosecution's theory of guilt unraveled, the prosecutors became indifferent to the defendant's guilt or innocence. They just …

Prosecutorial Disclosure Violations: Punishment Vs. Treatment, Kevin C. Mcmunigal

Mercer Law Review

Recent scholarship on prosecutorial disclosure violations proposes preventing violations through understanding and remedying the causes of violations, such as cognitive error. Scholars who adopt this view-what I call here the "treatment perspective"-often call for greater transparency and cooperation from prosecutors. A frequently unacknowledged tension exists between such a treatment perspective and a more traditional perspective-what I call here the "punishment perspective"-that seeks to deter disclosure violations through greater use of sanctions such as professional discipline.

The tension arises because increasing the certainty and severity of sanctions, as the punishment perspective urges, creates a powerful disincentive for individual prosecutors and prosecutor …

Death Penalty, Josh D. Moore

Mercer Law Review

Between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012, the Georgia Supreme Court addressed several significant points of law in the context of death penalty litigation. The court grappled with two challenging speedy trial issues, one constitutional and the other statutory, in Phan v. State and Walker v. State, respectively. The court announced a new rule on the calculation of time limitations for impeachable convictions in Clay v. State. The court revisited the subject of burden of proof in mental retardation cases in Stripling v. State. And the court articulated a clear standard for evaluating prejudice in a …

Crack, Congress, And The Normalization Of Federal Sentencing: Why 12,040 Federal Inmates Believe That Their Sentences Should Be Reduced, And Why They And Others Like Them May Be Right, Michael Mcneill

Mercer Law Review

The 1980s was a transitionary period in American history, when the general acceptance of casual drug use, which is still associated with the 1960s and 1970s, began to turn to widespread disapproval. The practice and dangers of "freebasing"-smoking cocaine that had been purified with ether and inhaled over an open flame-came into the public spotlight in 1980 when a prominent comedian immolated himself in an accident blamed on the dangerous practice. Beginning in 1984, a cheaper, more accessible form of freebase cocaine, called "crack," began growing in popularity in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. In November 1985, newspapers began …

Municipal Liability? Not So Fast: What Connick V. Thompson Means For Future Prosecutorial Misconduct, T. Owen Farist

Mercer Law Review

In Connick v. Thompson, the United States Supreme Court held that, under section 1983 of title 42 of the United States Code, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's actions failed to rise to the level of deliberate indifference required for municipal liability. The Court affirmed the possibility of "single-incident" municipal liability hypothesized in City of Canton v. Harris as an exception to the ordinary requirement of a pattern of similar violations necessary to prove the stringent standard of deliberate indifference to a known or obvious consequence. Despite upholding the validity of the exception, the Court found that Thompson's case did …

Davis And The Good Faith Exception: Pushing Exclusion To Extinction?, Eleanor De Golian

Mercer Law Review

To mitigate the effects of unlawful searches and remain faithful to the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the United States Supreme Court created the exclusionary rule, which requires lower courts to suppress evidence obtained from illegal searches. The Court, however, has recognized exceptions to the exclusionary rule, many of which involve police officers' "good faith" reliance on what they believe to be legal authority to search. In Davis v. United States, the Supreme Court held that, where a police officer relies on binding precedent in performing a search, the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule will not be used …

State V. Jackson And The Explosion Of Liability For Felony Murder, Brian E. Brupbacher

Mercer Law Review

In The Discourses, Niccold Machiavelli wrote, "The dangers involved in conspiracies[] ... are considerable, and go on all the time, for in a conspiracy dangers crop up alike in forming the plot, in carrying it out, and as a result of its having been carried out."' Although by its context this remark refers to conspiracies to commit regicide and the problems these conspiracies pose to the conspirators, this remark well describes practical and legal problems that can result from conspiracies to commit felonies. In Georgia this is particularly true following the June 28, 2010 ruling in State v. Jackson …

Life, Death, And Neuroimaging: The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Defense's Use Of Neuroimages In Capital Cases -Lessons From The Front, John H. Blume, Emily C. Paavola

Mercer Law Review

Over the past several decades, commentators and scholars from the medical, legal, and social science fields have produced a massive body of literature on the intersection of law and neuroimaging. Earlier writings focused on explaining various new techniques for developing brain images, exploring how such images might be relevant in legal proceedings, and addressing evidentiary issues posed by the use of such images in court. More recent publications correspond with a vast expansion of research and funding in the area of neuroscience and address a wide variety of topics, such as the use of neuroimaging to detect deception, predict recidivism …

Gideon'S Vuvuzela: Reconciling The Sixth Amendments Promises With The Doctrines Of Forfeiture And Implicit Waiver Of Counsel, Sarah Gerwig-Moore

Articles

Dating back to the early decades of the twentieth century, the United States Supreme Court has articulated clear, venerable standards for the waiver of constitutional rights--and in particular the right to counsel. This is a rich area for both litigation and teaching, if only to be able to repeat phrases such as "courts indulge every reasonable presumption against waiver" and "we do not presume acquiescence in the loss of fundamental rights." A defendant must proceed with "eyes open," and a waiver will not be presumed from a "silent record." Consistently affirmed and reaffirmed by the United States Supreme Court and …

The "Green" Effect On White Collar Sentencing: An Analysis Of The Impact Of The Economy On Imprisonment Lengths Of Sentences For Federal White Collar Defendants, Jessica P. Morgan

Mercer Law Review

On June 29, 2009, Bernard L. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his creation and perpetration of an unprecedented, worldwide "Ponzi" scheme, which caused an ultimate loss to thousands of investors totaling upwards of $65 billion. Although Madoff's Ponzi scheme caused more investor losses than any one similar scheme in American history, many were shocked by the severity of Madoff's sentence. As a man in his seventies, a sentence of 150 years incarceration is well beyond a life sentence and serves as a symbol to deter those who would engage in similar conduct in the future. ... …

No Witness? No Admission: The Tale Of Testimonial Statements And Melendez-Diaz V. Massachusetts, Jody L. Sellers

Mercer Law Review

In Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, the United States Supreme Court held that the Massachusetts trial court's admission into evidence of forensic "certificates of analysis" violated the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment. Following Crawford v. Washington, the Supreme Court held that the accused has a right to be confronted with the forensic analysts at trial unless "the analysts [are] unavailable to testify at trial" and the accused "had a prior opportunity to cross-examine" the analysts. Melendez-Diaz will have an important impact on criminal evidence procedure, specifically in regard to the potential growth of notice-and-demand statutes.

Death Penalty Law, Therese Michelle Day

Mercer Law Review

This Article provides a survey of death penalty case law in Georgia from June 1, 2008 through May 31, 2009. The cases included in this Survey were decided by the Georgia Supreme Court on interim appeal and direct appeal, and in one instance, on denial of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court. Discussion is limited to claims that present new issues of law, refine existing law, or are otherwise instructive.

Death Penalty Law, Therese M. Day

Mercer Law Review

This Article provides a survey of death penalty caselaw in Georgia from June 1, 2007 through May 31, 2008. The cases included in this Survey were heard by the Georgia Supreme Court on interim appeal and direct appeal. Discussion is limited to claims that present new issues of law, refine existing law, or are otherwise instructive.

"Insane In The Membrane, Insane In The Brain":1 The Case Of Panetti V. Quarterman, Michael Eric Hooper

Mercer Law Review

In Panetti v. Quarterman, the United States Supreme Court held that the incompetence standard used by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit was overly restrictive and failed to afford proper Eighth Amendment protection to a prisoner convicted of murder. While Ford v. Wainwright established that a prisoner is competent for execution if he or she knows of his or her impending execution and the reason for it, the Court expanded the competency standard in Panetti by holding that a prisoner's awareness of the rationale for an execution is not the same as a rational understanding …

Vigilant Or Vigilante? Procedure And Rationale For Immunity In Defense Of Habitation And Defense Of Property Under The Official Code Of Georgia Annotated §§ 16-3-23, -24, -24.1, And -24.2, Robert Christian Rutledge

Mercer Law Review

Georgia law provides statutory immunity for a person charged with an assault that arose in defense of property including habitation and real property. Such a defense would apply to the scenario above. The procedure for utilizing those immunities, however, is not clear in the applicable statutes, Official Code of Georgia Annotated ("O.C.G.A.") sections 16-3-23, -24, -24.1, and -24.2 (the "Immunity Statutes"), or in recent cases applying those statutes. This Article proposes a procedure for using those immunities as efficiently as possible. While seeking an efficient procedure, this Article also attempts to ascertain the rationale and policies behind the Immunity Statutes. …