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Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Victim Impact Videos

By standdown

Also yesterday, the Court refused to hear Kelly v. California.  Lyle Denniston has, "Court turns aside test on ?victim impact? videos," at SCOTUS Blog.The Supreme Court refused on Monday, over the protests of three Justices, to provide new guidance on the kinds of ?victim impact? evidence that may be put before jurors to try to convince them to impose a death sentence. Specifically, the Court turned down two appeals seeking to challenge the use of music and video portrayals that may be highly emotional. It would have taken the votes of four Justices to grant review; three said the Court should have examined anew that kind of evidence.  The Court granted no new cases for review. In the new ?victim impact? cases, Justice John Paul Stevens noted that the Court has not reviewed that type of evidence since its ruling 17 years ago in Payne v...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on November 11, 2008 (boomark / email).