Thursday, July 24, 2008

People v. Evans (Cal. Supreme Ct. - July 24, 2008)

Throughout the history of Anglo-American jurisprudence, for almost half a millennium, a defendant has had the right to allocute after being convicted of a crime. To express sorrow for what he's done. To explain his actions. To beg for mercy. To try to place a human face on things before the court pronounces sentence.

You don't have that right in California anymore.