Thursday, July 23, 2015

People v. Leon (Cal. Supreme Ct. - June 29, 2015)

Richard Leon is a bad, bad guy who robs and shoots people for utterly no reason.  He was sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court unanimously reverses his sentence, holding that three prospective jurors were erroneously excluded based upon their views about the death penalty.

The state could legally attempt on remand to again sentence Mr. Leon to death.  But I hope it doesn't try.  Notwithstanding the fact that I hope that Mr. Leon stays in prison for the rest of his life.

The crimes at issue, as well as the trial, transpired in early 1993.  Over two decades ago.  It's taken that long, and consumed that many resources, just to get the case in front of the California Supreme Court.

To try again would only generate another decades-long morass.

Just finish it.  Put the guy in prison forever and leave it at that.  No need to waste forty (or more) years of litigation on the guy.