Supreme Court upholds Kentucky's use of lethal injections

[NaturalHigh]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court upheld Kentucky's use of lethal injection executions Wednesday.

The justices, by a 7-2 vote, turned back a constitutional challenge to the procedures in place in Kentucky, which uses three drugs to sedate, paralyze and kill inmates.

"We ... agree that petitioners have not carried their burden of showing that the risk of pain from maladministration of a concededly humane lethal injection protocol, and the failure to adopt untried and untested alternatives, constitute cruel and unusual punishment," Chief Justice John Roberts said in an opinion that garnered only three votes. Four other justices, however, agreed with the outcome.

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[Breeze54]

1. Any word yet on executing child rapists?

SCOTUS is supposed to rule on that today as well.

[NaturalHigh]

3. Not yet, but...

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Texas argue death penalty for child rapists

WASHINGTON — Texas says sometimes the sexual assault of a child can be so violent or obscene that the only appropriate punishment is to execute the offender.

And Wednesday, Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz will make that case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that state legislatures have the constitutional right to allow the death penalty for child rapists.

The case before the court, Kennedy vs. Louisiana, concerns a Louisiana law and the case of a Jefferson Parrish, La., man convicted of raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter. But striking down that law could call into question Texas’ 2007 “Jessica’s Law,” which allows the execution of certain repeat child sex offenders...

[Seeking Serenity]

2. Interesting that Breyer and Stevens voted with the majority (n/t)