Court Clarifies Rights of Defendants as Lawyers
The old adage that criminal defendants who act as their own attorneys have fools for clients took on new meaning Monday when the California Supreme Court ruled that trial judges no longer may instruct self-represented defendants that they can refuse to testify.
For 45 years, California judges have been required to inform defendants who are representing themselves that they have a constitutional protection against compelled self-incrimination.
The court unanimously ruled that defendants found competent under federal standards to represent themselves cannot receive guidance from the bench.
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