Smith v. Kentucky

Jan 19, 1988
No. 87-5795; No. 87-5877; No. 87-5885; No. 87-5892; No. 87-5909; No. 87-5913; No. 87-6002
Reporters:
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Sup. Ct. Ky.;

C. A. 4th Cir.;

Sup. ‍​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍Ct. Ind.;

Sup. Ct. Va.;

Ct. Crim. App. Okla.;

Ct. Crim. App. Okla.; and

*1037No. 87-6002.

Sup. Ct. Ohio. ‍​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍Certiorari denied.





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.