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Justice Stevens Renounces Death Penalty

By Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing

On initial viewing the ruling in Baze v. Rees is simple--7 Justices upholding Kentucky's lethal injection protocols and 2 Justices dissenting that ruling. Underneath that count is a splintered court that produced a separate concurring opinion by Justice John Paul Stevens.An article focused on the ruling can be read HERE.An article focused on Justice Stevens' opinion can be read HERE.In the majority controlling opinion Chief Justice John Roberts made the following statements. ?A slightly or marginally safer alternative? would not suffice, the chief justice said. He added: ?Simply because an execution method may result in pain, either by accident or as an inescapable consequence of death, does not establish the sort of ?objectively intolerable risk of harm? that qualifies as cruel and unusual? under the Eighth Amendment...continue to full post

Full post as published by tcask:: on the road (to abolition) on April 18, 2008 (boomark / email).