What Kind of Help Does the Constitution Require for Defendants in Capital Cases? – SCOTUS Blog

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will revisit  Ake v. Oklahoma, in which the Court held that a psychiatrist must be appointed to an indigent defendant who demonstrates that his or her mental health is likely to play a significant role at trial. In McWilliams v. Dunn, the Court will determine whether its decision in Ake requires that the psychiatrist must be independent of the prosecution. Read more.