Despite the Supreme Court's decision in Payne v. Tennessee, a trial court may still find that a particular ___________ would inject too much emotionalism into the jury's deliberations on the issue of whether an offender should sentenced to death.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While the Supreme Court has allowed for victim impact statements to be presented during the sentencing phase of a capital trial, trial courts still have the discretion to exclude them if they believe that the emotional impact of the statement would unfairly influence the jury's decision. This discretion is based on the constitutional requirement for fairness and reasonableness in the sentencing process, and the potential for undue emotionalism to skew a decision related to the taking of a human life.

Despite the Supreme Court's Decision in Payne V