Georgia Supreme Court to rule on Gwinnett judge’s use of electric-shock device
A convicted Gwinnett stick-up man contends he deserves a new trial because the judge made him wear an electric-shock device which threatened him with 50,000 volts and public humiliation.
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Weldon, now 26, argued on appeal that forcing him to wear the device violated his rights and undermined a fair trial because it made him too nervous to pay attention during jury selection or courtroom testimony to assist in his defense; he feared accidentally activating the device — officially the Band-It Prisoner Restraint and Transport System —or the deputy activating it, court papers said.
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the use of the device, which federal courts have ruled present constitutional concerns. The Georgia Supreme Court is hearing the case “to determine what circumstances and procedures should govern the use of a non-visible shock device during a trial.”
Supreme Court to rule on Gwinnett judge s use of electric-shock device www.ajc.com
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Weldon, now 26, argued on appeal that forcing him to wear the device violated his rights and undermined a fair trial because it made him too nervous to pay attention during jury selection or courtroom testimony to assist in his defense; he feared accidentally activating the device — officially the Band-It Prisoner Restraint and Transport System —or the deputy activating it, court papers said.
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the use of the device, which federal courts have ruled present constitutional concerns. The Georgia Supreme Court is hearing the case “to determine what circumstances and procedures should govern the use of a non-visible shock device during a trial.”
Supreme Court to rule on Gwinnett judge s use of electric-shock device www.ajc.com
