Suicide Watch And The Role Of A Civil Rights Attorney

Even if you are accused of a serious crime, such as murder, you have certain legal rights as per the criminal law in the United States of America. A civil rights attorney ensures that your rights are protected and you get a fair trial for your case. Such lawyers may not prove you innocent, especially if all the evidence is against you, but they will make sure that you do not face undue harassment or torture. Suicide watch is one such controversial aspect of the law that threatens the legal rights of the accused.
What Is Suicide Watch?
There is a special provision in the criminal law where the accused might be placed under suicide watch, especially when the court is convinced that the accused is likely to make attempts to commit suicide. The Markoff case is a recent example of this. When examined by medical staff at the jail, the correction officer noticed suspicious marks on the neck of the 23-year-old defendant that suggested the accused had tried to hang him self, probably by using shoelaces. As a result, they transferred the accused to a special padded cell with a camera trained on him. The case has already created a buzz in the legal field, attracting comments from prominent legal experts. For example, as per Jeffrey A. Denner, a prominent civil rights attorney, there is nothing wrong with the provision of suicide watch, especially when the accused is threatening his own life. But, at the same time, Denner also questions the specific harassing conditions of suicide watch that seem to violate the legal rights of the accused.
Does Suicide Watch Violate The Rights Of The Accused
The accused has the legal rights even when he/she is in imprisonment. When they are placed under suicide watch, it is not just about putting them into a special padded cell with close circuit cameras, but they are also often stripped off all clothes and accessories, including bed sheets, clothing, belts, and shoelaces. Not just that, a prison officer is also appointed to guard the accused twenty-four hours a day. Such conditions definitely eliminate any chances of the accused attempting to commit suicide, but they are obviously quite harassing both physically and psychologically. In such a scenario, the need of an experienced civil rights attorney just cannot be ignored.
As per criminal law in the United States of America, there are two elements of every crime - the actual act and the mental state of the accused. Both the prosecutor and the defense lawyer focus on these two elements to convince the court whether the accused is guilty or not. Putting the accused individuals under the strict conditions of suicide watch seem to be in their own interest. But if they are put under such conditions without proper evidence indicating they had attempted to harm themselves, it will be complete violation of the constitutional rights of the accused. This is where the role of a civil rights attorney becomes very important.