Supreme Court Upholds Kansas Death Penalty Law

In a 5-4 decision that saw new Justice Samuel Alito breaking the tie, the U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a Kansas death penalty sentencing law. Under the state law, juries are instructed to impose the death penalty when evidence of a crime’s brutality is in equal weight to mitigating evidence explaining the actions of the defendant.

The Kansas Supreme Court had previously overturned the law, ruling that it violated the 8th Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Chief Justice Roberts along with Justices Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy joined in the majority opinion, with Justices Souter, Ginsberg, Stevens and Breyer dissenting.

The case decided today was Kansas v. Marsh.

Also See:
Supreme Court Strikes Down Juvenile Death Penalty
Supreme Court Bars Execution of Mentally Retarded
Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty
Death Penalty: Pros and Cons