Baze v. Rees
Baze v. Rees | ||||||
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Decided April 16, 2008 |
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Kentucky State's method of execution is constitutional. |
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Applied Law | ||||||
Baze v. Rees is in litigation before the United States Supreme Court (Docket # 07-5439).
The subject was death sentences of Ralph Baze and Thomas Bowling (both Kentucky ) for murder. The convicts were of the opinion that the lethal injection that was awaiting them represented a cruel punishment and thus violated the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. In the run-up to the trial, executions had repeatedly resulted in complications that delayed death and caused unintended pain.
On July 11, 2007, the defense lawyers filed a motion to allow the appeal of the appeal ( petition for writ of certiorari ), which the court granted on September 25, 2007 and ordered the devolution effect . As a result, there was a nationwide moratorium on executions in order to await the outcome of the proceedings. The hearing took place on January 7, 2008. On April 16, 2008, the Kentucky type of execution was declared constitutional by a majority of 7-2; Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter did not support the decision.
See also: Death Penalty in the United States
Web links
- Verdict (via SCOTUSblog, PDF; 356 kB)
- Supreme Court of the United States: Docket No. 07-5439
- ScotusWiki: Baze v. Rees