Unstacking the Deck – A Handbook for Capital Defense Attorneys on Challenging the State’s Case in Aggravation

By John H. Blume / Death Penalty Resource & Defense Center, on 8 September 2020

When the state decides to seek the death penalty against a criminal defendant, the cards are heavily stacked against him before the trial even starts. First, the defendant must face a jury that already assumes he is guilty simply because he has been charged with a crime. They will assume this all the more given that it is a capital case. Moreover, the jury selection process itself will produce a jury that is predisposed to vote both for guilt and for death.The purpose of this handbook is to provide some suggestions for ways to “unstack the deck” for capital defendants by challenging the state’s case in aggravation.

• Document type Academic report
• Countries list United States
• Themes list Networks,