A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that a person who is being interrogated by the police cannot just remain silent in order to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, he must actually invoke the privilege before he can obtain its benefits. In Salinas v. Texas the court, split 5-4 along the traditional ideological lines …
Tag Archive: Death penalty ALI capital punishment
Oct 12 2012
Time for NY to Allow “NoLo Contendre” Pleas
Several states around the country, most notably California, Florida and Texas, permit a person charged with a crime to enter a plea of “NoLo Contendre” which is Latin for “I Do Not Contest The Matter.” This allows the accused to resolve his criminal matter by a plea bargain without admitting guilt of the crime. Its …
Nov 07 2011
DNA Proves Young Men Confessed to a Murder They Didn’t Commit Winning Freedom for 2 Illinois Men
Years ago, if someone confessed to a crime, the belief was that the police needed nothing else. After all, who would ever confess to a murder they didn’t commit right? Yet repeatedly DNA evidence is proving that young men in particular falsely confess to crimes for a number of reasons. Pressure from the police and …
Sep 03 2010
Death Penalty Dad Trying to Taint Jury Must Be Stopped
No one in their right mind can actually blame Dr. William Petit for wanting blood. In 2007, his wife and two daughters were viciously slain during a home invasion robbery. Since then he has become a famous advocate for the death penalty and has gained national recognition for his testimony before legislative bodies in favor …
May 20 2010
The Most Dangerous Lawyer in Texas
Monday, Adam Liptak, the NY Times’ legal reporter, published an article about Jerry Guerinot, a Texas lawyer who holds the distinction of having represented the most people sentenced to death – 20. That’s more people than most states that have the death penalty have on Death Row. He has not won one capital case. Liptak, …