Hall Vs. Florida case summary
The 8th Amendment to our Constitution prohibits the federal government from imposing cruel and unusual punishment. This amendment reigns over the states as well. According to the decision made in the Atkins vs. Virginia case it is cruel and unusual punishment to place someone with an IQ score of 70 or lower on death row. Many also deem it cruel and unusual to place anyone diagnosed as mentally disabled on death row.
Similar cases to the Hall v. Florida case include Atkins v. Virginia, Penry v. Lynaugh, and Hitchcock v. Dugger. In the Atkins v. Virginia case Deryl Atkins confessed to the murder of Eric Nesbitt. Atkins was tried and found guilty, and was placed on Death Row. However, a series of IQ tests deemed him mentally retarded, with an IQ of 59. His Death Row sentence was appealed, because it violated the 8th amendment of cruel and unusual punishment. Because of his low IQ score, despite the fact that he was considered fairly intelligent, his could not be sentenced to death. This idea is the same within the Hall v. Florida case. Many states such as Georgia followed this idea that sentencing mentally challenged criminals to death is unconstitutional. In the Penry v. Lynaugh case, Penry was tried, convicted and placed on death row. The court in Texas did not consider his mental retardation a mitigating factor in sentencing him to Death Row. When he was tried for a second time, he was again placed on Death Row. Eventually the Atkins v. Virginia case caused the court to end his death sentence, after proving his sentence a violation of the 8th Amendment. Lastly, in the Hitchcock v. Dugger case, the Supreme Court upheld that the 8th Amendment is in fact constitutional. It was a 9-0 decision to have Hitchcock placed on Death Row, and that all mitigating factors should be considered instead of solely the relevant statutes.
I feel that Hall should not be placed on death row. Hall was originally diagnosed by physicians that he is mentally handicapped. Although his IQ
Similar cases to the Hall v. Florida case include Atkins v. Virginia, Penry v. Lynaugh, and Hitchcock v. Dugger. In the Atkins v. Virginia case Deryl Atkins confessed to the murder of Eric Nesbitt. Atkins was tried and found guilty, and was placed on Death Row. However, a series of IQ tests deemed him mentally retarded, with an IQ of 59. His Death Row sentence was appealed, because it violated the 8th amendment of cruel and unusual punishment. Because of his low IQ score, despite the fact that he was considered fairly intelligent, his could not be sentenced to death. This idea is the same within the Hall v. Florida case. Many states such as Georgia followed this idea that sentencing mentally challenged criminals to death is unconstitutional. In the Penry v. Lynaugh case, Penry was tried, convicted and placed on death row. The court in Texas did not consider his mental retardation a mitigating factor in sentencing him to Death Row. When he was tried for a second time, he was again placed on Death Row. Eventually the Atkins v. Virginia case caused the court to end his death sentence, after proving his sentence a violation of the 8th Amendment. Lastly, in the Hitchcock v. Dugger case, the Supreme Court upheld that the 8th Amendment is in fact constitutional. It was a 9-0 decision to have Hitchcock placed on Death Row, and that all mitigating factors should be considered instead of solely the relevant statutes.
I feel that Hall should not be placed on death row. Hall was originally diagnosed by physicians that he is mentally handicapped. Although his IQ