Smith v. Pennsylvania

Mar 30, 1987
No. 86-6035; No. 86-6087; No. 86-6203; No. 86-6293; No. 86-6294; No. 86-6309; No. 86-6479
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Sup. Ct. Pa.;

Sup. Ct. Pa.;

Sup. Ct. ‍​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‍Fla.;

Sup, Ct. Ill.;

Sup. Ct. Ill.;

C. A. 4th Cir.; and

C. A. 5th Cir. 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.