Ford v. Florida

Apr 14, 1980
No. 79-6111; No. 79-6116; No. 79-6168; No. 79-6187
Reporters:
, , ,
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Sup. Ct. Fla.;

Sup. Ct. Fla.;

Sup. Ct. Va.; and

Sup. ‍​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍Ct. Ga. Certio-rari denied. Reported below: No. 79-6111, 374 So. 2d 496; No. 79-6116, 374 So. 2d 508; No. 79-6168, 220 ‍​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍Va. 260, 257 S. E. 2d 808; No. 79-6187, 244 Ga. 721, 261 S. E. 2d 635.





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.