Court Opinion

ID: 9422124
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:01:24.229842+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:32.029909
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Stewart,
concurring.
I join in affirming the judgments. Rule 32 (a) does not seem to me clearly to require a district judge in every case to volunteer to the defendant an opportunity personally to make a statement, when the defendant has a lawyer at his side who speaks fully on his behalf. But I do think the better practice in sentencing is to assure the defendant an express opportunity to speak for himself, in addition to anything that his lawyer may have to say. I would apply such a rule prospectively, in the exercise of our supervisory capacity. See Couch v. United States, 235 F. 2d 519.