Supreme Court cases

Supreme Court rules Constitution doesn't guarantee "painless" execution

United States Supreme Court
Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 along ideological lines Monday that the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment," does not mean death row inmates are guaranteed a "painless" execution.

"The Eighth Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death — something that, of course, isn’t guaranteed to many people, including most victims of capital crimes."
— Justice Neil Gorsuch

Details: Russell Bucklew, a convicted murderer sentenced to death 22 years ago, argued that a rare medical condition he has would make lethal injection extremely painful, per the Washington Post. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that Bucklew failed to propose an alternative method of capital punishment that would be less painful, arguing that it shouldn't be a difficult task unless the inmate is simply seeking to delay his execution.

Supreme Court declines second request to block bump stock ban

Semi-Automatic Rifles Equipped With Bump Stocks Used At Gun Range
Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court declined a second request to block the Trump administration's enforcement of the bump stock ban, reports AP.

Details: Chief Justice John Roberts refused to hear the first request on Tuesday — the same day the ban became effective — per AP. Bump stocks allow semiautomatic weapons to fire like machine guns, which President Trump promised to ban after bump stocks were used in 2017's Las Vegas shooting.

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