Supreme Rulings: "Death Penalty Is Not A Proportional Punishment For The Rape Of A Child"

Supreme Court Rejects Death Penalty for Child Rape
By DAVID STOUT 43 minutes ago In a 5-4 decision, the justices struck down a Louisiana law, ruling that it would violate the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

• Text of the Decision (pdf)

<h3 class="title">A Cruel and Unusual Punishment </h3> Billy Sothern : Death Penalty

Billy Sothern, member of the legal team that represented Patrick Kennedy, convicted of child rape, in a landmark Supreme Court death penalty decision this week, explained the issues at stake in this 2007 essay.