The State of Georgia executed Warren Hill today, despite arguments that Mr. Hill was intellectually disabled.  Last minute arguments made to the Supreme Court were unsuccessful.  

 

The Supreme Court issued orders today in the Hill case are important to all death penalty defense issues as hints regarding how the High Court will be ruling in future cases involving capital punishment. 

There were only two dissents in the Warren Hill matter. Justices Breyer and Sotomayor would have granted the stay of execution.   

Read the SCOTUS orders here and here

Hill’s argument was that the case of Hall v. Florida should apply to his case to find unconstitutional Georgia’s law that there only be proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he is so severely intellectually disabled to be executed.  

Interesting point to consider:  Hill was executed by lethal injection.  The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Glossip v. Gross, where it is argued that lethal injection drug procedures are unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment.