Opinion ID: 2276120
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: right to speak at final sentencing hearing

Text: Appellant claims she was also denied the right to speak at her sentencing hearing. The Commonwealth contends that Appellant was given the opportunity to speak, but chose not to address the court until after her sentence had already been imposed and the hearing adjourned. RCr 11.02(1) states that [t]he court shall. . . afford the defendant and the defendant's counsel an opportunity to make a statement or statements in the defendant's behalf and to present any information in mitigation of punishment. Without determining whether the failure to allow Appellant to speak at the sentencing hearing would by itself be reversible error, we merely caution the court on retrial to allow Appellant to speak at the sentencing hearing (if any) if she so requests in a timely manner. See. Green v. United States, 365 U.S. 301, 81 S.Ct. 653, 5 L.Ed.2d 670 (1961) (holding that failure to afford a defendant the opportunity to speak to the sentencing court was a violation of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(a), and constituted a denial of due process, yet stating that such an error could be harmless). However, the right to speak at the sentencing hearing, just like the right to testify at trial, is not without limit. The court may in its discretion, limit the testimony in duration and content. Id.