This is a big deal and really good SCOTUS Criminal Justice Decision

[cali]

Defendants Entitled to Adequate Lawyer on Plea, Court Says
By Greg Stohr on March 21, 2012


The U.S. Supreme Court said for the first time that criminal defendants have a constitutional right to a competent lawyer when they are offered a chance to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Voting 5-4, the justices today sided with two men who say they received inadequate legal advice. One said his lawyer never told him of a plea offer, and the other said his attorney convinced him he couldn’t be convicted of intent to murder because the victim was shot below the waist.

The cases divided the court along ideological lines, with Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the court’s four Democratic appointees in the majority.

“The right to adequate assistance of counsel cannot be defined or enforced without taking account of the central role plea bargaining plays in securing convictions and determining sentences,” Kennedy wrote.

<snip>

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-21/defendants-entitled-to-adequate-lawyer-on-plea-court-says

Scalia had one hell of a hissy fit. teehee.

[Mnemosyne]

1. Thanks Cali! Anything that pisses off that creep has to be good. :) K&R nt

[indepat]

2. Thank you Justice Kennedy. Every time you fire rockets up the rhetorical

asses of Justices Roberts, Scalia, Alito, and Thomas is a victory for we the people.

[cali]

3. yeah. I'm happy to see that the dastardly four

don't have complete control over Kennedy.

[indepat]

4. Dastardly four, felonious five: what a nice, fitting

ring.

[X_Digger]

5. Excellent news! n/t

[bluestate10]

6. And some on DU who claim to care about justice pan Obama at every chance.

People, you are one fucking vote from constant disaster. Two justices Ginsberg and Scalia are aged and may not be on the bench at some point during the next Presidential term. Roberts has a medical issue that could see him die instantly. The fucking question that I have for Obama bashers is would you rather see a mythical President Romney or President Santorum replace departing justices? Wake up.