Various interesting opinions today, but Kennedy's
majority opinion against execution of those who rape a child is up there. This includes an extended discussion of the heinous nature of the crime, the (dubious) argument that
Coker doesn't decide the question, the focus on the moral/mental well being of the child and the generally anti-death penalty flavor of the whole thing. An extended discussion by me (and a bit on the dissent) can be found
here.
