Opinion ID: 1959682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Constitutionality of Method of Execution

Text: Johnson argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion to preclude the State from seeking the death penalty because the method of execution prescribed by Missouri law constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Missouri and United States Constitutions. This issue was addressed in Johnson II, 22 S.W.3d at 189. Although Johnson argued unsuccessfully at his original trial that Missouri's method of execution is unconstitutional, he failed to raise the issue in his original appeal. On appeal from his second penalty-phase proceeding, he raised the argument again, and this Court found that under the law of the case doctrine the trial judge's original ruling denying the matter controls. The law of the case also applies to this current appeal. [12] Johnson's claim is controlled by the trial judge's original ruling and he may not relitigate this issue. Additionally, this Court has found that when an execution date has not been set, it is premature to consider a claim involving the method of execution, as the type of lethal injection that the State may use in the future is unknown. See Worthington v. State, 166 S.W.3d 566, 583 n. 3 (Mo. banc 2005). Johnson does not know his date of execution, and it would be premature to consider whether a particular method of lethal injection violates the Eighth Amendment. Finally, the Eighth Circuit recently held that the lethal injection procedures that Missouri proposes to use to carry out the death penalty are constitutional and not in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Taylor v. Crawford, 487 F.3d 1072, 1085 (8th Cir.2007). [13]