Bucklew v. Precythe
E649390
Bucklew v. Precythe is a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld Missouri’s method of execution against an Eighth Amendment challenge, clarifying the standards for inmates claiming that a particular execution protocol would cause them severe pain.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Eighth Amendment case
ⓘ
United States Supreme Court case ⓘ capital punishment case ⓘ |
| areaOfLaw |
constitutional law
ⓘ
criminal procedure ⓘ death penalty jurisprudence ⓘ |
| argumentDate | 2018-11-06 ⓘ |
| challengedMethodOfExecution | lethal injection using pentobarbital ⓘ |
| citation | 587 U.S. ___ (2019) ⓘ |
| constitutionalProvision |
Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| court | Supreme Court of the United States ⓘ |
| decisionDate | 2019-04-01 ⓘ |
| dissentingOpinionBy |
Elena Kagan
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ruth Bader Ginsburg NERFINISHED ⓘ Sonia Sotomayor NERFINISHED ⓘ Stephen G. Breyer NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| docketNumber | No. 17-8151 ⓘ |
| holding |
Inmates bringing method-of-execution challenges must identify a feasible, readily implemented alternative method that would significantly reduce a substantial risk of severe pain
ⓘ
Missouri’s method of execution did not violate the Eighth Amendment as applied to Bucklew ⓘ The alternative method of execution need not be authorized under current state law ⓘ |
| impact |
clarified that as-applied method-of-execution challenges follow the same framework as facial challenges
ⓘ
raised the evidentiary burden on inmates challenging methods of execution ⓘ |
| jurisdiction | Missouri NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| legalIssue |
Eighth Amendment challenge to method of execution
ⓘ
constitutionality of Missouri’s lethal injection protocol ⓘ standard for as-applied method-of-execution challenges ⓘ |
| majorityJoin |
Brett M. Kavanaugh
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Clarence Thomas NERFINISHED ⓘ John G. Roberts, Jr. NERFINISHED ⓘ Samuel A. Alito, Jr. NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| majorityOpinionBy | Neil Gorsuch NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| petitioner | Russell Bucklew NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| petitionerClaim | Missouri’s lethal injection protocol would cause him severe pain due to his rare medical condition ⓘ |
| petitionerCondition | cavernous hemangioma ⓘ |
| precedentCited |
Baze v. Rees
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Glossip v. Gross NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| principle |
Method-of-execution challenges are disfavored when brought late in the process
ⓘ
The Eighth Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death ⓘ |
| proposedAlternativeMethod | execution by nitrogen hypoxia ⓘ |
| respondent | Anne L. Precythe NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| respondentOffice | Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections ⓘ |
| resultForPetitioner | relief denied ⓘ |
| standardClarified | Glossip v. Gross alternative-method requirement applies to as-applied challenges ⓘ |
| state | Missouri ⓘ |
| term | October Term 2018 ⓘ |
| vote | 5-4 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.