Silverstein, Ken.

The Judge As Lynch Mob. / Ken Silverstein. - American Prospect, 2001. - SIRS Enduring Issues 2002. Article 73. Institutions, 1522-3256; .

Articles Contained in SIRS Enduring Issues 2002. Originally Published: The Judge As Lynch Mob, May 7, 2001; pp. 26-31.

"Though rarely mentioned in the national media's treatment of the death penalty, Alabama has the largest number of people per capita on death row. Its criminal defense system is the worst in the country, as rated by the American Bar Association (ABA). And Alabama is one of only a few states where judges can ignore a jury's recommendation of life without parole and unilaterally impose the death penalty. Thirty-two individuals, about one-sixth of the current population of Alabama's death row, were sent there by judges who overruled the jury. Judges can also reduce a jury's death sentence to life without parole, but in a state where capital punishment is hugely popular and judges run for office, that rarely happens." (AMERICAN PROSPECT) This article addresses the process of judical override and examines the multitude of ways in which this power is often abused.

1522-3256;


Capital punishment.
Discrimination in capital punishment.
Judges.
Judicial ethics.
Sentences (Criminal procedure)


Alabama.

AC1.S5

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