Ruffin v. Austin

Mar 22, 1982
No. 81-6082; No. 81-6131; No. 81-6143; No. 81-6151
Reporters:
,
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Super. Ct. Ga., Tatnall County;

Sup. Ct. Va.;

Sup. Ct. ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‍N. C.; and

Sup. Ct. Ga. Certiorari denied. Reported below: No. 81-6131, 222 Va. 766, 284 S. E. 2d 816; No. ‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‍81-6143, 304 N. C. 201, 283 S. E. 2d 732; No. 81-6151, 248 Ga. 558, 284 S. E. 2d 390.





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.