Supreme court case could bring interesting results

Posted on October 7, 2015

*Supreme Court Scholar Meghan Leonard looks for interesting decisions on 8th amendment cases. (WJBC file photo)*

By Terry James

NORMAL – Two Kansas brothers are waiting to hear from the US Supreme court who will decide if those tried at the same time for murder can be sentenced to death.

Dr. Meghan Leonard is a Supreme Court scholar at Illinois State University.

“I think the really interesting part of the eighth amendment cases in front of the Supreme Court is the bigger picture where we ended the last Supreme Court term with at least two justices saying the death penalty itself is completely unconstitutional,” said Leonard.

Leonard said The Supreme court always has decided death penalty cases by what the public feels is the definition of cruel and unusual at the time.

Terry James can be reached at [email protected].

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