John B. Webster
02-22-2006, 06:01 PM
Today the court ruled in, Oregon v. Guzek the Court that states may limit the evidence that a convicted defendant may provide at sentencing to evidence that was introduced at the original trial. The Court also held that it has not interpreted "the Eighth Amendment as providing such a defendant the right to introduce at sentencing evidence designed to cast 'residual doubt' on his guilt...." The Court was considering an appeal of an Oregon Supreme Court ruling which held that Randy Lee Guzek should have been allowed to introduce "alibi evidence" during the sentencing phase, even though that evidence was not introduced at trial. Read the Court's opinion [text], per Justice Breyer, along with a concurrence from Justice Scalia, who was joined by Justice Thomas.