Dignity in the gray zone: Indiana v Edwards

In a pronouncement that seemed tailor-made for Ferguson, the Court stated that "a self-representation right at trial will not 'affirm the dignity' of a defendant who lacks the mental capacity to conduct his defense without the assistance of counsel . . . and may undercut the most basic of the Constitution's criminal law objectives, providing a fair trial [page 2].\n At a time when all society is trying to mainstream the mentally impaired, the Court permits them to be deprived of a basic constitutional right-for their own good [page 11]." [...] the meaning of "dignity" itself is often very unclear.