Court bans shackling of murder defendants

AP - StL Today ^ | May 23, 2005 | Gina Holland

[EveningStar]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court, brushing aside warnings by two justices that it was jeopardizing courthouse safety, ruled Monday it is unconstitutional to force capital murder defendants to appear before juries in chains and shackles.

Justices threw out the sentence of Carman Deck, who was shackled in leg irons and handcuffed to a chain around his belly when he faced a Missouri jury that put him on death row.

Carman Deck as he appeared at his double murder trial in Jefferson County in 1996.

[Stonedog]

Which article of "International Law" did this decision come from? Has SCOTUS gone mad?

[fella]

last spotted approaching the Horsehead Nebula.

Uuuuuuh ...................... I believe their at the other end of the horse.

[pubmom]

Has SCOTUS gone mad?

Most of them, yes.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Doesn't the fact that the defendant has been arrested and charged with a crime serve to prejudice the jury? The Supreme Court is being too clever by half.

Exactly. The guy wouldn't be -- um -- on trial for murder if no one viewed him as a danger to the community.

[EveningStar]

Was Rehnquist there? He agreed with this?

Yes and yes.

Source

[FatherofFive]

Put them in a (bullet proof) glass case. Elevator access from basement. We'll do it for their safety, to remove any negatives.

BTW, "The man in the glass booth" was a very good movie.

[deks]

That would work. I believe a similar method was used on the imprisoned Captain Kirk et al. on the original Star Trek series.

[mlc9852]

Their logic is truly frightening.

[massgopguy]

I wonder if the prosecution said mean things about him that hurt his self esteem? Think of the emotional damage caused by Attorney Generals is every state. These Character Assassins are on the public payroll. Sniff.

[RetiredArmy]

The socialist thought process continues to amaze me. Simply amazing.

[Madame Dufarge]

I think that's an elegant solution.

[Diddle E. Squat]

The Republicans could not have asked for a better timing of the release of this decision.

[billclintonwillrotinhell]

Was Rehnquist there? He agreed with this?

Yes, he did. The decision was 7-2 and the only dissenters were Scalia and Thomas. I wish the Chief Justice well with his health, but I think it's time for him to put his country ahead of himself and resign.

[little jeremiah]

Well said. Unfortunately their otherwordly decisions affect those of us still on planet earth.

[petro45acp]

This one is simple. Two officers, both with remote controls and located at opposite ends of the courtroom, and a remote controlled shock belt on the defendant. He even twitches wrong, and zap (or zot as one prefers), one incapacitated dirtbag.

Top sends

[Adder]

Which Euroweenie country did they get THAT ruling from?
These people are effin nutz.

[SuziQ]

Only Scalia and Thomas dissented.

I assumed that they were the only two who dissented, and you confirmed it.

[stop_fascism]

Deck was convicted of killing James Long, 69, and his wife, Zelma, 67, near De Soto, Mo., in 1996. He went to the elderly couple's door asking for directions, but once inside shot them both twice in the head and stole about $400.

I don't know why anyone would consider him dangerous.

[petro45acp]

"And the Supreme Court continues it's journey off planet Earth, last spotted approaching the Horsehead Nebula."

from behind right?

Top sends

[RightField]

Let's put it here in the FR record, exactly what this charmer was convicted of doing:

Deck was convicted of killing James Long, 69, and his wife, Zelma, 67, near De Soto, Mo., in 1996. He went to the elderly couple's door asking for directions, but once inside shot them both twice in the head and stole about $400.

The case is Deck v. Missouri, 04-5293.

from the linked article above.