When Jonathan Keith Jackson was sentenced to death, he stood before
the jury wearing an electronic shock device around his waist that could
have thrown him writhing to the floor at any moment.
The California Supreme Court upheld
the use of what is known as a stun belt during his sentencing Monday,
reasoning that even if the trial judge were wrong to equip Jackson with
the remote controlled shock belt, it was not critical to the jury’s
sentencing decision.
But the ruling came over the strong objections of Justice Goodwin
Liu, who noted findings entirely ignored by the majority that the fear
imposed by the belt can change the defendant’s ability to function,
communicate, and his demeanor during testimony.
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