Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed into law yesterday a bill banning the execution of mentally retarded people convicted of murder. The Florida law does not specify how low an inmate’s IQ level must be for the inmate to be considered retarded, but defines inmates as retarded if they have below-normal intellectual functions and behavior. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider this fall whether the execution of a mentally retarded North Carolina inmate would be cruel and unusual punishment barred under the federal Constitution.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Signs Bill Banning Execution of Intellectually Disabled
HeadlineJun 13, 2001