Despite warnings of courtroom violence, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that it's unconstitutional to force capital murder defendants to appear before juries in chains and shackles. "It also almost inevitably affects adversely the jury's perception of the character of the defendant," wrote Justice Stephen Breyer. Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas said in their dissent that the ruling risks the lives of courtroom personnel. The decision leaves room to handcuff or chain defendants who are a security risk.
May 23, 2005 at 12:00 AM
1 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.Com
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.
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