Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 “Last Rights? Death Chamber Chaplains and the Law” Matthew P. Cavedon On December 22, 1849, twenty Russian dissidents stood on St. Petersburg square, waiting to be shot dead by their government. They had already been offered last rites. Several were even tied to a post. Suddenly, a messenger…
Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 “Judge Not: The Problem with Georgia’s Charge about Religious Objection to Jury Service” Matthew P. Cavedon At the start of most criminal trials in Georgia, the judge gives those called for jury duty a quick overview of the jury selection process. This includes warning them that the attorneys…
Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 “God in the Attorney-Client Relationship” Matthew P. Cavedon I was taught early on that a criminal defense attorney has to overcome numerous obstacles to win clients’ trust. Hurdles include their past difficulties with authority figures. Their fears for the future. Their mental illnesses and chemical dependencies. The instability…
Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 “I Swear to God: Oaths, Accommodations, and the Binding of Conscience” Matthew P. Cavedon Watch any courtroom drama and you know something serious is about to happen when a witness takes an oath. In the typical Hollywood version, it goes like this: “Do you swear to tell the…
Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 This article is part of our “Reflecting on COVID-19” series.If you’d like to check out other articles in this series, click here. “Mass Gatherings – COVID-19 Quarantines, Religious Rights, and Criminal Law” Matthew P. Cavedon COVID-19 has become the sort of generational event that September 11, the fall of the…
Image adapted from Wikicommons by DhLeaks44 / CC BY-SA 4.0 “Conviction: A Series on Criminal Law and Religion” Matthew P. Cavedon “conviction (n) 1: the act or process of finding a person guilty of a crime especially in a court of law 2a:a strong persuasion or belief” Canopy Forum is an online publication on the intersection of law and…
“Dashboard Jesus” by Joseph Novak / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Police are looking for drug runners near the Mexican border. They see a truck with a crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror. Can they factor this in as a reason to stop the truck? Surprisingly, most federal courts have held yes, albeit as a…