That had to be an unpleasant ruling to make. From the AP: The Supreme Court on Wednesday outlawed executions of people convicted of raping a child. In a 5-4 vote, the court said the Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. ... The Supreme Court on Wednesday outlawed executions of people convicted of raping a child. In a 5-4 vote, the court said the Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. ... The Supreme Court banned executions for rape in 1977 in a case in which the victim was an adult woman. Forty-five states ban the death penalty for any kind of rape, and the other five states allow it for child rapists. Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas allow executions in such cases if the defendant had previously been convicted of raping a child. The court struggled over how to apply standards laid out in decisions barring executions for the mentally retarded and people younger than 18 when they committed murder. In those cases, the court cited trends in the states away from capital punishment. On a purely emotional level I'm supportive of the death penalty for child molesters and the death penalty as a whole in theory. I've mentioned before given the fact that we have executed innocent people, that those that can afford better lawyers tend avoid the de ...
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