Opinion ID: 1060419
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the nature of the constitutional issue before the court

Text: Initially, it is of vital importance to understand the precise constitutional question before the Court. Contrary to the majority's formulation, the issue in this case is not simply whether the Tennessee Constitution prohibits the execution of mentally retarded persons. Under some well-settled circumstances, it already does, and I do not understand these well-settled circumstances to be at issue here. This Court has previously held that the Constitution prohibits the execution of a defendant within the borderline mentally retarded range if, because of that mental condition, the defendant lacks substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law. In State v. Laney, 654 S.W.2d 383 (Tenn.1983), this Court, speaking through then Justice Drowota, denied the defendant's challenge to his capital sentence on the ground that the fact of his low I.Q. rendered the sentence cruel and unusual. In denying that the mere fact of low intelligence alone rendered a capital sentence unconstitutional, the Court held that so long as the mental condition did not affect the defendant's capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law, the law would hold [that] person accountable for his actions. Id. at 389 (citing Graham v. State, 547 S.W.2d 531, 543 (Tenn.1977)). This Court then upheld Laney's capital sentence upon finding that his I.Q. of seventy-two did not affect his mental capability to plan, commit and attempt to cover up his involvement in the crime. Id. As evidenced by Laney , the law is already settled that the Constitution of the State of Tennessee forbids the execution of a mentally retarded defendant under certain circumstances, such as where a defendant's mental condition displaces the following capacities: (1) the cognitive capacity to appreciate the consequences of certain action, (2) the moral capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of certain action, or (3) the volitional capacity to behave in a lawful manner. See also Penry v. Lynaugh, 492 U.S. 302, 338, 109 S.Ct. 2934, 106 L.Ed.2d 256 (1989) (O'Connor, J.) (stating that the Eighth Amendment does not bar execution, unless a defendant's mental condition affects his or her cognitive, volitional, and moral capacities). [11] However, the majority today expands this prohibitional bar well beyond the holding of Laney . Instead of focusing its rationale on the cognitive abilities of the individual defendant, the majority now expands prior law to render all mentally retarded persons, despite the actual cognitive, moral, or volitional abilities possessed by the individual defendant, ineligible for capital punishment. [12] As such, the issue before the Court is not simply whether the Constitution prohibits the execution of the mentally retarded. Under some circumstances, it does, and it always has. Instead, the real issue in this case is whether the Tennessee Constitution now also forbids the execution of someone who suffers from a mental condition, but whose condition does not affect his or her cognitive, moral, or volitional capacities to commit capital murder. The majority's decision is a broad expansion of existing law, and one that I believe is unwarranted and will lead to injustice in individual cases. Instead, I would hold that the Constitution continues to permit the punishment of a defendant who has the cognitive capacity to appreciate that certain action will lead to the death of others, who has the moral capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of murder, and who otherwise has the volitional capacity to behave in a lawful manner. For the reasons given below, I respectfully dissent from the conclusion that the Tennessee Constitution prohibits the petitioner's execution, or, consequently, that he has shown that he is actually innocent of the offense under section 40-30-217(a)(2).