Burks v. Texas

Jun 30, 1980
No. 79-5533; No. 79-6099; No. 79-6350
Reporters:
, , ,
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Ct. Crim. App. Tex.;

Ct. Crim. App. Tex.; and

Sup. ‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‍Ct. N. C. Certiorari denied. Reported below: No. 79-5533, 583 S. W. 2d 389; No. 79-6099, 593 S. ‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‍W. 2d 323; No. 79-6350, 298 N. C. 306, 259 S. E. 2d 510.





Dissenting Opinion

Mr. Justice Brennan and Mr. ‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‍Justice Marshall,

dissenting.

Adhering to our views that the death penalty is in all circumstances cruel and unusual punishment ‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‍prohibited by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U. S. 153, 227, 231 (1976), we would grant ‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‍certiorari and vacate the death sentences in these cases.