SCOTUS narrowly spares 'intellectually disabled' murderer from execution
Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to stop Alabama from executing Joseph Clifton Smith, a man with intellectual disabilities convicted of murder. The Court allowed a lower court's decision to stand, which said executing him would be cruel and unusual punishment under the Constitution.Key Facts
- Joseph Clifton Smith was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
- Smith has taken five IQ tests over nearly 40 years, with scores ranging from 72 to 78.
- IQ scores below 70 generally indicate intellectual disability, but medical experts recommend considering other factors like social and practical skills.
- Lower courts ruled that Smith is intellectually disabled after looking at his IQ, school records, and behavior.
- The Supreme Court did not clearly explain how courts should decide on intellectual disability with conflicting IQ scores.
- The justices voted 5-4, with four justices disagreeing and one calling to restore the death penalty for intellectually disabled people.
- The ruling means Smith will spend life in prison instead of being executed.
- The Court recognized the difficulty in setting clear rules for such cases and suggested handling them individually with expert input.
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