Ahmad Edwards was convicted of murder and battery with a deadly weapon, and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1999. The incident happened when Edwards was caught shoplifting in a department store in Indiana, he shot a security guard and a customer while trying to flee.

Edwards diagnosed with schizophrenia after his sentencing. Edwards later appealed the case, because he was denied the right to self representation, but declared competent to stand trial. The U.S. Supreme Court began to review the issue on March 26, 2008, and is urged by Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher to bar such individuals from representing themselves.

• Cornell University Law School: Indiana v. Edwards