Pierce v. Texas

Jun 4, 1990
No. 89-6716; No. 89-7146
Reporters:
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Ct. Crim. App. Tex.; and

Sup. Ct. ‍‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‍Ala. Certiorari denied. Reported below: No. 89-6716, 777 S. W. 2d 399; No. 89-7146, 555 So. ‍‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‍2d 215.





Dissenting Opinion

Justice Brennan and 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.