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I guess that would count
for whatever weight the jury gives it. With the right (wrong) jury, it
might be evidence of redemption or whatever. Why withhold the information
whatever the sect?
But would the conversion to the World Church of the Creator (white
supremacist religion in prison and on the web) also count? I think not,
which means the courts cannot say that conversion to religion per se indicates
good behavior. They need to stick to the objective facts of good
behavior. The appeal to Christianity is an attempt to bring into the
case mom and apple pie, but it can't be a legitimate criterion, under the rule
against sect preferences in both Religion Clauses.
Marci
I assume that the point is not that Christianity has special
status, but
that the conversion to a system of religious belief is (or so
a jury might
find) indicative of a likelihood of redemption (in a secular
sense) and htat
the person need not be executed to protect society.
I
would imagine that the same would be true if a convict showed devotion
to
some secular equivalent. Under the court's cap[ital punishment rules
,post
arrest conduct in jail-even after conviction and on retrial-- is
relevant as
a mitigating factor.
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP mail server made the following annotations on 11/12/2004, 10:20:24 AM
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