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Legal Ethics Keyed to Rhode, 8th Ed.
United States v. Kaczynski
Citation:
239 F.3d 1108 (2001)Facts
Theodore Kaczynski was indicted in 1996 for a series of bombings that killed three people and injured nine others. The government sought the death penalty. Kaczynski’s appointed attorneys, Quin Denvir and Judy Clarke, planned to present a mental health defense, which Kaczynski strongly opposed. In December 1997, a compromise was reached where no expert mental health testimony would be presented in the guilt phase, but could be used in the penalty phase. However, on January 4, 1998, Kaczynski learned his attorneys still planned to present non-expert mental health evidence in the guilt phase. After the court ruled on January 7 that his attorneys could control this aspect of the defense, Kaczynski requested to represent himself on January 8. The court ordered a competency evaluation, and despite Kaczynski being found competent, denied his self-representation request on January 22, finding it untimely and made for purposes of delay. Immediately afterward, Kaczynski pled guilty in exchange for the government withdrawing its intent to seek the death penalty. He was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 30 years.
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