Opinion ID: 1801680
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Unconstitutionality of Lethal Injection

Text: Defendant contends that lethal injection, as a method of execution, is unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment to the federal Constitution. A claim of alleged deficiencies in the method of a future execution is not cognizable on appeal because it does not affect the validity of the judgment. ( People v. Demetrulias, supra, 39 Cal.4th 1, 45.) In any event, anecdotal evidence of botched lethal injections in other states is insufficient here to compel further scrutiny under the Eighth Amendment. ( People v. Snow, supra, 30 Cal.4th at pp. 127-128; People v. Holt (1997) 15 Cal.4th 619, 702 [63 Cal.Rptr.2d 782, 937 P.2d 213].)