Payne v. Tennessee (1990)
- Docket
- 90-5721
- Decided
- 1990-01-01
Summary
Question: Does the Eighth Amendment prohibit a capital sentencing jury from considering the impact that a victim's death had upon surviving family members? Conclusion: No. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist delivered the opinion for a 6-3 court. The Court overruled Booth v. Maryland and South Carolina v. Gathers which prohibited the submission of evidence relating to the harms caused by the victim's death. The Court reasoned that since "[v]irtually no limits are placed on the relevant mitigating evidence a capital defendant may introduce concerning his own circumstances," the prosecution must be allowed to submit similar counter evidence. Evidence regarding the "assessment of the harm caused by the defendant has long been an important factor in determining the appropriate punishment, and victim impact evidence is simply another method of informing the sentencing authority about such harm."