Martin v. Commonwealth

Apr 20, 1973
Reporters:
,
Before:
Stephenson
STEPHENSON, Justice.

Martin was tried by a Jefferson Circuit Court jury which convicted on all four ‍​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍counts of the indictment and imposed sentences of ten years for burglary; life without parole for rape; twenty-one years for malicious stabbing and wounding; and life for armed robbery.

Martin ‍​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍appeals only the penalty of life without parole imposed by the conviction for rape. He asserts that the provisions of KRS 435.090 insofar as it authorizes a penalty of life without ‍​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍parole is cruel and unusual punishment and contrary to the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section Seventeen of the Kentucky Constitution.

At the time of the commission ‍​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍of the offense Martin was twenty-four years of age. We are of the opinion that the penalty provision is valid. Workman v. Commonwealth, Ky., 429 S.W.2d 374, 33 A.L.R. 3d 326 (1968).

The ‍​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍judgment is affirmed.

PALMORE, C. J., and MILLIKEN, OSBORNE, REED, STEINFELD and STEPHENSON, JJ., sitting.

All concur.