The current state of the death penalty in the US:
Gregg v. Georgia (1976) - Georgia's new death penalty statute is constitutional because it adequately narrows the class of defendants eligible for the death penalty. This case and the next four cases were consolidated and decided together. By evaluating the new state death penalty statutes, the Supreme Court ended the prohibition on executions that began with its decision in Furman v. Georgia (1972).
Proffitt v. Florida (1976) - Florida's new death penalty statute is constitutional because it requires the comparison of aggravating factors to mitigating factors in order to impose a death sentence.
Jurek v. Texas (1976) - Texas's new death penalty statute is constitutional because it uses a three-part test to determine if a death sentence should be imposed.
Woodson v. North Carolina (1976) - North Carolina's new death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it allows a mandatory death sentence to be imposed.
Roberts v. Louisiana (1976) - Louisiana's new death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it calls for a mandatory death sentence for a large range of crimes.
Coker v. Georgia (1977) - A death sentence may not be imposed for the crime of rape.
Enmund v. Florida (1982) - A death sentence may not be imposed on offenders who are involved in a felony during which a murder is committed but who do not actually kill, attempt to kill, or intend that a killing take place.
Ford v. Wainwright (1986) - A death sentence may not be imposed on the insane.
Breard v. Greene (1998) - The International Court of Justice does not have jurisdiction in capital punishment cases that involve foreign nationals.
Atkins v. Virginia (2002) - A death sentence may not be imposed on mentally challenged offenders, but the states can define what it means to be mentally challenged.
Roper v. Simmons (2005) - A death sentence may not be imposed on juvenile offenders.
Baze v. Rees (2008) - The three-drug cocktail used for performing executions by lethal injection in Kentucky (as well as virtually all of the states using lethal injection at the time) is constitutional under the Eighth Amendment.
Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008) - The death penalty is unconstitutional in all cases that do not involve murder or crimes against the state such as treason.
Did you guess right?
Here's Saturday's hint - Y is for Yoder. Can you guess the case and what it's about? Leave a comment!
Hard not to "cheat" when so few words begin with X in English (I went the phonetic route myself).
ReplyDeleteInteresting that death penalty remains in just a few states. My main issue with it is the racial bias in sentencing. White perps are far and away more likely to get a prison sentence in the states with a death penalty for committing identical crimes as people of color.
http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com
For the last two years I used "ex" instead of X. But this year I just decided to cheat. And I think you're right about the more non-white death sentences.
DeleteThat's because we live in a country that still operates under the rules of "white privilege." The death penalty per se... I always think (sarcastically, just in case you're wondering) "Well sure! Let's just kill them buggers to prove that killing people is wrong!!!"
ReplyDeleteCalen~
Impromptu Promptlings
A to Z Challenge Letter X
It does seem contradictory, doesn't it.
DeleteI'm old enough to remember the death of Caryl Chessman and all the controversy. What amazes me are folks who are 'pro-life' and support the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteYep, another contradiction. But the law, and public opinion, doesn't always make sense.
DeleteLife is full of contradictions, isn't it. In all walks of life, not just the law. I remember an Alan Alda movie about Caryl Chessman. Now I have to look it up to ignite my memory.
ReplyDeleteI'm at that age when I should rename my memory to "google" because that's how I remember stuff now.
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