Constitutional LawCriminal LawDeath PenaltyFeatured
Measuring Mercy: IQ Tests, Intellectual Disability, and Capital Punishment
February 11, 2026By Marcela Rivera
Over twenty years ago, the Supreme Court held that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment forbade states from executing individuals with intellectual disabilities.[i] In Atkins v. Virginia, the Court issued a landmark ruling recognizing that diminished culpability, the absence of meaningful deterrence, and an increased risk of wrongful execution render capital punishment […]
