Indiana Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Roy Lee Ward v. State of Indiana

For you legal-minded readers trying to follow specific cases, Roy Ward v. Indiana was argued in the Indiana State Supreme Court this morning--now on its second direct appeal after being remanded on first direct appeal and re-sentenced to death .

A summary of the case can be found on the Indiana Law Blog and the oral arguments are already online and can be viewed with Realplayer.

The arguments focused primarily on the methodology of jury selection; the main argument being summed up by Ward's attorney (1:00:10 on the video):

Steve Ripstra: I guess the thrust of the argument is that we were denied the process that the judge put in place in the first place which would have been fair in a case like this, with a death penalty case under the conditions that we were operating in, and if we were given individual voir dire in a death penalty case and to get a week with the jury, no more than that which doesn't seem, when a man's life is on the line, out of order.

Justice Dickson: Isn't your argument asking us to conclude as a matter of law that every death penalty case requires voir dire... is it your claim that it's constitutionally required?

Ripstra: Yes, for due process.