[debate] [Debate] Legality of defending oneself in a court of law

[Brian Loe]

On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 6:40 AM, Alan Light <alanlight at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am wondering what justification there can possibly be for not allowing a
> defendant to defend themself in a court of law.  I can understand that a
> judge might instruct a jury to disregard such a defence as inconsequential
> to the matter at hand, but it seems obvious to me that the point of a jury
> trial is that the JURY, not the judge, is to make the final decision, and
> therefore should be able to hear any and all arguments that the defendant
> might want to make.

Pretty simple. If you let the person make the argument, an argument
that you know will be thrown out, you've let him poison the jury's
minds. The judge can rule that you're not to consider the argument but
that doesn't erase the fact from the jury's minds.

Courts also will not let you "fully inform" the jury - now THERE is an
argument. fija.org