Abstract
In 1991, the Supreme Court expressly held that "victim impact" evidence is permissible in capital trials. As this Article relates, the Court's decision in Payne v. Tennessee has resulted in the widespread use of victim impact evidence, yet death penalty jurisdictions have shown a marked reluctance to impose substantive and procedural limits on the highly emotional new form of evidence. This Article surveys how impact evidence is being employed in capital trials nationwide, and examines how trial and appellate courts can better ensure that impact evidence does not improperly influence capital juries in their death decisions.
How to Cite
41 Ariz. L. Rev. 143 (1999)
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