Two Ohio State professors to speak on Supreme Court ruling

Juries, not judges, must decide if a convicted killer lives or dies, according to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Monday (6/24). The ruling finds laws unconstitutional in five states and could potentially overturn numerous death sentences.

Two professors at The Ohio State University’s Michael E. Moritz College of Law can speak on this issue.

According to the Associated Press, the 7-2 ruling affects systems that give judges the final say over life and death sentences after the jury has convicted a person of murder. The Supreme Court ruled that the sentencing laws in five states are unconstitutional, and questioned whether 168 Death Row inmates in those states will be put to death. The ruling may also affect inmates sentenced in four other states.

Joshua Dressler
Franklin R. Strong Chair in Law
Expert in criminal law, procedure
Ranked among top five U.S. criminal law scholars
(614) 688-3145

Douglas A. Berman
Professor of Law
Expert in criminal punishment, sentencing, death penalty
Editor of Federal Sentencing Reporter
(614) 688-8690