Opinion ID: 1057594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 31

Heading: Constitutionality of Death Penalty as Applied

Text: The Defendant claims that Tennessee's death penalty statute is applied in a cruel and unusual manner and that it is, therefore, unconstitutional. In Tennessee, an inmate sentenced to death is administered three chemicals to carry out the imposed sentence. The lethal injection protocol was upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court in Abdur'Rahman v. Bredesen, 181 S.W.3d 292 (Tenn.2005). As recently as November 2008, the Tennessee Supreme Court continued to cite Abdur'Rahman for the principle that the lethal injection protocol in Tennessee does not violate a defendant's Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. State v. Banks, 271 S.W.3d 90 (Tenn.2008). In addition, the United States Supreme Court recently held that Kentucky's triple-injection method of execution was constitutional and did not violate an inmate's right against cruel and unusual punishment. Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35, 128 S.Ct. 1520, 1529, 170 L.Ed.2d 420 (2008). In that opinion, the Supreme Court further stated, A state with a lethal injection protocol substantially similar to the protocol we uphold today would not create a risk of severe pain when compared to known and available alternatives. Id. at 1537. Tennessee's lethal injection protocol has been recognized as substantially similar to Kentucky's. Baze, 553 U.S. 35, 128 S.Ct. at 1527 (citing Workman v. Bredesen, 486 F.3d 896, 902 (2007)). Thus, we conclude the Tennessee method of lethal injection is constitutional with respect to the Eighth Amendment, and the Defendant is not entitled to relief on this issue.