Bifurcation Under State Procedure
State procedures differ widely.
In some states, a defendant who has raised the defense of mental disease or defect will automatically create a bifurcated trial. In the first stage of the trial, both sides present evidence and testimony designed to establish that the defendant is either guilty or not guilty. If the defendant is guilty, the issue of mental disease is presented.
Read more about this topic: Bifurcation (law)
Famous quotes containing the word state:
“Wisdom has lost repute because it so often applies to a state of affairs that no longer exists.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)