Lockett V. Ohio (1978)
Definition
US Supreme Court ruling under the Eighth Amendment requiring that sentencers in capital cases must be able to consider any aspect of the defendant's character, record, or circumstances as potential mitigation.
- Court
- US Supreme Court
- Year
- 1978
- Constitutional basis
- Eighth Amendment
- Holding
- Sentencer must be able to consider any mitigating aspect of character, record, or circumstances
Common questions
Why is Lockett v. Ohio significant for forensic mental health experts in capital cases?+
It establishes that evidence about a defendant's psychological state, background, or character cannot be categorically excluded from what the sentencer is permitted to consider as mitigation.
Does Lockett require the sentencer to give mitigating evidence a particular weight?+
No. It requires only that the sentencer be allowed to consider the evidence, not that it must be assigned any specific weight or produce a particular sentencing outcome.
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