Pennsylvania death penalty ruling [US SC] News
Pennsylvania death penalty ruling [US SC]

Rompilla v. Beard, Supreme Court of the United States, June 20, 2005 [ruling 5-4 that public defenders wrongfully failed to review records showing evidence of mental retardation and a troubled childhood]. Excerpt from the Opinion by Justice Souter:

We hold that even when a capital defendant's family members and the defendant himself have suggested that no mitigating evidence is available, his lawyer is bound to make reasonable efforts to obtain and review material that counsel knows the prosecution will probably rely on as evidence of aggravation at the sentencing phase of trial.

Read the full text of the opinion here [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Benito Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy

Fascist leader Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy on October 31, 1922 after being appointed by King Victor Emmanuel II. Mussolini came to power after his paramilitary "blackshirts" marched on Rome to take control of the country's government. Italy would be under Mussolini's authoritarian rule until 1943, after which he was arrested and subsequently freed by the Nazis. Mussolini would rule a breakaway republic in Italy's north until his execution by anti-fascist partisans in 1945. Learn more about Benito Mussolini.

Nevada admitted to US after telegraphing Constitution

On October 31, 1864, Congress admitted Nevada as the 36th state in the US. With President Lincoln coming up for re-election and looking for support for his proposed 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Nevadans had moved quickly to meet the legal requirements for statehood, ultimately sending the entire text of the proposed state constitution to Washington by telegraph, creating in the longest—and most expensive—telegram on record to that date.

India PM Indira Gandhi assassinated

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