Penry v. Lynaugh (1988)
- Docket
- 87-6177
- Decided
- 1988-01-01
Summary
Question: Was Penry's sentence cruel and unusual punishment? Conclusion: The Court partially affirmed and partially reversed the lower court's decision. Justice O'Connor argued that the jury was improperly instructed and should have been told that it could have considered Penry's mental deficiencies when imposing its sentence. However, she rejected Penry's blanket claim that generally the Eighth Amendment does not allow death sentences for defendants who are intellectually disabled ("retarded" in the Court's words).