UpdateThe public defender for Wright is at tsmith@minnehahacounty.org.

Her lawyers are preparing a defense for her that basically says that she’s too stupid, on account of being deaf, to be properly tried for anything:

Court papers filed by Daphne Wright’s lawyers say that people who’ve been deaf since early childhood have severely limited vocabularies and a hard time understanding English. The lawyers call this an “information gap” that “produces a subtle, though highly significant cognitive deficit.” As a result, Wright’s lawyers argue it would be impossible for her to understand the legal process of her trial and therefore, she would be unable to defend herself in a death penalty hearing.

Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me???

This is insane. I do not have the particulars of the case, of whether or not she appears to be guilty. I also do not have the particulars on her mental state. But I can assure you that whatever her state is, it’s not her deafness that is causing it. I think this line of defense needs to be dropped quickly. If she has psychological issues that prevent her from clearly understanding whatever it is she has done, that can be used instead of raising the old deaf=stupid canard.

They are also trying to claim that terps can’t keep up with all the legalese being strewn around during court procedings, so providing her with a terp isn’t an alternative solution (OK, all you terps, put those things down slowly…). In a way I kind of understand; as lawyers they have been trained to latch on to everything and anything possible to use in a trial to exonerate their client. But this kind of crap is only stereotypes, and easily demolished by the prosecution (of course that does assume the prosecution and judge are able to see past this inanity).

For shits sake…I was born deaf and not only do I have an MS in Computer Science, I recently completed all qualifications for a Certified Paralegal in this state in my spare time.

Bah.

That said, I don’t think she should get the death penalty, but not because she’s deaf, but because I don’t think the death penalty is a moral or even reasonable solution.

You know… for any of you who saw Babylon 5… I think the prosecution should put a long line of deaf people on the stand… doctors, lawyers, programmers, professors, all of us deafies who are clearly perfectly able to understand what is going on…