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Eighth Amendment

The U.S. Supreme Court building
May 21, 2026

Supreme Court dismisses death penalty case on people with mental disabilities

The Supreme Court on Thursday chose not to weigh in on what standards states should use to assess whether a person who commits a crime must be spared the death penalty because of intellectual disabilities.

Capital punishment protesters pray on the grounds of Riverbend Maximum Security Institution
Apr 1, 2025

Lawsuit by inmates challenging Tennessee’s plans to resume executions

Nine Tennessee death row inmates are suing the state over its push for a new round of lethal injections after an execution was abruptly called off in 2022 and a follow-up investigation found scores of missteps in several executions.

The Butts County Coroner van pulls into the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison
Feb 14, 2025

Judge: Lethal injection doesn’t violate rights of man on death row, avoids firing squad question

A federal judge has ruled against a man on Georgia’s death row who argued that lethal injection could cause him excruciating pain and suggested a firing squad as an alternative.

Jul 22, 2019

Criminal Law: Sentencing-Eighth Amendment-Gross Disproportionality

Where a defendant argued that his 200-month sentence for distributing less than 50 grams of methamphetamine violated the Eighth Amendment, the sentence did not come close to violating the gross […]

Dec 27, 2018

Civil Rights: 42 U.S.C. §1983-Eighth Amendment-Medical Care

Plaintiff, an inmate, appealed from the district court’s grant of summary judgment to defendants in plaintiff’s 42 U.S.C. §1983 action arising from his medical treatment for fractures suffered during an […]

Dec 21, 2018

Civil Rights: Eighth Amendment-Inadequate Medical Care-Failure to Provide Treatment

Plaintiffs received class certification in their complaint alleging defendants violated the Eighth Amendment and the ADA by failing to provide adequate medical care for inmates with chronic Hepatitis C viral […]

Dec 21, 2018

Civil Rights: Eighth Amendment-Inadequate Medical Care-Failure to Provide Treatment

Plaintiffs received class certification in their complaint alleging defendants violated the Eighth Amendment and the ADA by failing to provide adequate medical care for inmates with chronic Hepatitis C viral […]

Oct 1, 2018

Civil Rights: §1983 Action- Eighth Amendment- Summary Judgment

Plaintiff, an inmate, appealed the district court’s adverse grant of summary judgment in his 42 U.S.C. §1983 action. Where plaintiff failed to identify specific errors in district court’s findings of […]

Sep 11, 2018

Constitutional Law :  Execution Method –  Eighth Amendment – Brain Defect

Johnson v. Precythe (MLW No. 72047/Case No. 17-2222 – 11 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeal, 8th Circuit, Colloton, J.)

Aug 19, 2016

Criminal Law : Sentencing – Eighth Amendment – Intelligence

U.S. v. McCurry (MLW No. 69547/Case No. 15-3425 – 5 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, Bright, J.)


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