"Arizona presents no specific reason for excepting capital defendants from the constitutional protections extended to defendants generally, and none is readily apparent"
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
About this Quote
This quote by Ruth Bader Ginsburg is referring to the state of Arizona's choice to deny capital accuseds the exact same constitutional defenses as other offenders. Ginsburg is questioning why Arizona has picked to do this, as there is no apparent factor for it. She is implying that Arizona is not providing equivalent security to all defendants, which is a violation of the Constitution. Ginsburg is recommending that Arizona must not be allowed to reject capital defendants the same constitutional defenses as other defendants, as it is not a sensible or understandable decision. This quote highlights the significance of equivalent defense under the law, and the need for all accuseds to be dealt with fairly and equally.
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