Wrongful death sentences : rethinking justice in capital cases / Cathleen Burnett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burnett, Cathleen, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Capital punishment--United States.

Capital punishment.

Judicial error--United States.

Judicial error.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (200 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Boulder, Colorado : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What acts truly deserve the death penalty? And how equitably do we apply this ultimate punishment? Cathleen Burnett explores wrongful capital sentencing to offer a sober yet searing critique of the criminal justice procedures and legal criteria involved. Highlighting problems such as the elicitation of false confessions, prosecutors who choose to ignore mitigating factors, and Supreme Court decisions that limit appeals, Burnett shows why those accused of capital crimes frequently fail to receive a fair hearing. Her rigorous and measured analysis underscores the crucial importance of the presumption of innocence in our society’s pursuit of justice.

Contents:

""Book Title""; ""Table of Contents""; ""List of Tables""; ""2.1 Time Limitations for New Trials""; ""2.2 Characteristics of Federal Actual Innocence Standards""; ""3.1 Recommendations for Normative Behaviors for Police and Prosecutors""; ""4.1 States with Accomplice Connection to Death Penalty Statutes""; ""4.2 Recommendations for Reliability in Making the Prosecution�s Case""; ""6.1 Insanity Standards for Affirmative Defense in Death Penalty States""; ""6.2 Missouri Capital Cases with Psychological Claims""; ""Preface""; ""1-The Construction of Innocence: Introduction of a New Framework""

""Organization of the Book""""The Traditional Language of Innocence""; ""The Models""; ""The Presumption of Innocence""; ""The New Framework""; ""The Spectrum of Innocence: Expanding the Magnitude of the Problem""; ""Notes""; ""2-Actual Innocence""; ""State and Federal Time Limitations and Grounds for Retrial""; ""Legal Standards for Claims of Actual Innocence""; ""Shifting Standards""; ""Do These Variations in Standards Make a Difference?""; ""Conclusions and Recommendations""; ""Notes""; ""3-False Confessions andFalse Guilty Pleas""; ""False Confessions""; ""Plea Bargaining""

""Conclusions and Recommendations""""Notes""; ""4-The Accomplice""; ""Legal Standards""; ""Does It Make a Difference?""; ""Conclusion and Recommendations: The Ends of Justice""; ""Notes""; ""5-Self-Defense""; ""Defenses""; ""Intentionality""; ""Self-Defense""; ""Effective Assistance of Counsel""; ""Costs""; ""Jury Behavior in Capital Trials""; ""Does It Make a Difference?""; ""Conclusions and Recommendations""; ""Notes""; ""6-State of Mind""; ""Time of Crime""; ""Time of Trial""; ""Time of Execution""; ""Mens Rea""; ""Legal Insanity as an Affirmative Defense""; ""Jury Verdicts""

""Research on Juries and the Insanity Defense""""Conclusions and Recommendations""; ""Notes""; ""7-The Spectrum of Innocence: Focusing on Behavior""; ""Wider Implications""; ""Reforms""; ""What Is Next?""; ""Notes""; ""References""; ""Index""; ""About the Book""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-58826-920-5

OCLC:

929119795