[20030716]RS21572_死刑：2002-2003年最高法院判决摘要.pdf

1536 U.S. 584 (2002).2536 U.S. 304 (2002).Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21572July 16, 2003Capital Punishment: Summary of SupremeCourt Decisions of the 2002-2003 TermPaul Starett Wallace, Jr.Specialist in American Public LawAmerican Law DivisionSummaryIn its 2001-2002 term, for the first time since 1988, the Supreme Court placedsubstantial new restrictions on the powers to impose the death penalty. In Ring v.Arizona1, it overturned a death sentence imposed by a judge, holding that defendantshave a Sixth Amendment right to have a jurynot a judgedetermine whetheraggravating factors warrant the imposition of the death penalty. In Atkins v. Virginia,2it held that the execution of the mentally retarded is cruel and unusual punishment. Inthe2002-2003term,inMiller-Elv.CockrelltheCourtimposedanadditionalrestrictionwhen it decided that an African-American death row inmate should have been allowedto appeal the rejection of his contention that the jury that convicted him was screenedby prosecutors in a racially biased way. In Wiggins v. Smith, it held that a capitaldefendant had been denied effective counse