Final answer:
The presence of a conflict of interest in a capital case does not always require an automatic reversal. It depends on whether the conflict significantly impacted the defendant's right to a fair trial and the integrity of the judicial process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Does a conflict of interest call for automatic reversal in a capital case? The correct answer is: C. Depends on the severity of the conflict.
A conflict of interest can potentially call for reversal in a capital case, but it is not necessarily automatic. The courts must evaluate whether the conflict of interest adversely affected the defendant's right to a fair trial. When a claim of such a conflict is raised on appeal, the appellate court will scrutinize the circumstances to determine if the conflict had a significant adverse impact on the proceedings or the defense strategy.
If the conflict is so severe that it is deemed to have undermined the integrity of the judicial process or the reliability of the outcome, then a reversal may be warranted. However, not all conflicts of interest will result in such a drastic outcome, hence the need to assess its severity and impact case by case.