Von Byrd v. Texas

May 21, 1979
No. 78-6223; No. 78-6275; No. 78-6310; No. 78-6443
Reporters:
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Ct. Crim. App. Tex.;

Sup. Ct. Ga.;

Sup. ‍​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍Ct. Va.; and

Sup. Ct. Fla. Certio-rari denied.





Dissenting Opinion

Mr. Justice Brennan and Mr. ‍​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‍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.