Death-Row Inmate Forced to Self-Lawyer Asks Justices to Step In

It’s been said that a man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client. But what if the judge leaves the man no choice?

The U.S. Supreme Court can answer that question by taking up an unusual appeal from a Tennessee death-row prisoner whose petition will be considered for the first time at the justices’ private conference on Friday.

The local judge’s decision to make Tony Von Carruthers represent himself at his triple-murder trial raises vital questions about when the Sixth Amendment right to counsel can be snatched away. If the justices don’t intervene, Carruthers could be ...