Can Inordinate Delay between a Death Sentence and Execution Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment 29 Seton Hall Law Review 1998-1999

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29 Seton Hall L. Rev. 147 (1998-1999)
Can Inordinate Delay between a Death Sentence and Execution Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment

handle is hein.journals/shlr29 and id is 157 raw text is: Can Inordinate Delay Between a Death Sentence and
Execution Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment?
Dwight Aarons*
I. Introd uction ............................................................................. 148
II. Eighth AmendmentJurisprudence ......................................... 151
A. T he 1976 C ases .................................................................. 153
B. Eighth Amendment Limits on Death Eligibility ............. 157
C. Collateral Consequences of Punishment as Violative
of the Eighth Am endm ent ................................................ 160
III. Defendants Alleging Time Awaiting Execution as Cruel
and U nusual Punishm ent ........................................................ 164
A. Clarence Allen Lackey ....................................................... 168
B. Caryl W hittier Chessm an ................................................... 170
C. Duncan Peder M cKenzie,Jr ............................................. 173
D . W illiam Lloyd Turner ........................................................ 175
IV. Resolving the Inordinate Delay Claim According to
Eighth Am endm ent Principles ................................................ 176
A. History, Judicial Precedent, and Inordinate Delay in
C apital C ases ...................................................................... 178
B. Contemporary Legislative Attitudes on Inordinate De-
lay in C apital C ases ............................................................ 184
Associate Professor of Law, The University of Tennessee College of Law. I
thank Judy Cornett for wonderfully constructive criticism and much needed en-
couragement. Her support continues to extend far above and beyond the call of
any legal or moral duty. Thanks to Fran Ansley, Neil P. Cohen, Tom Davies, and
Greg Stein who were kind enough to comment on an earlier draft. Stephen B.
Bright also read a draft and shared his insights. I am greatly and generally appre-
ciative of the comments given to me by each person listed. I tried to give each sug-
gestion my full consideration. I only hope that I listened to their sage advice and
did not merely walk with the wise. See STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, Walk With the Wise,
on THE GREAT ADVENTURE (Sparrow Records 1992). One should not infer that any
of the above agree with the death penalty as a permissible form of punishment.
Jean E. Moore and Kelly Browne of The University of Tennessee College of Law Li-
brary diligently and graciously located otherwise hard to find sources. I remain re-
sponsible for any errors.