Lower Court Holding in Madison v. Alabama
Decision of the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
Thirty years ago, the Supreme Court held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits the execution of a person who is incompetent. The Court has since clarified that a person cannot be executed if he lacks a “rational understanding” of the reason for his execution. — Panetti v. Quarterman (2007). This standard requires the prisoner to be able to rationally understand the connection between the crime he committed and the punishment he is to receive. The Supreme Court told us that if the prisoner does not understand this connection, “the punishment can serve no proper purpose” and cannot be carried out. Case…
