Ruling that Officials Can Force Convicted Murderer to Take Medication to Make Sane Enough to Be Executed Not Disturbed
Singleton v. Norris, 319 F.3d 1018 (8th Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 124 S. Ct. 74 (2003)
The Supreme Court declined to review a ruling by the Eighth Circuit that allowed Arkansas officials to force a convicted murderer to take medication intended to make him sane enough to be executed. In 1986 the Supreme Court held that executing an insane individual violates the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause. However, the Supreme Court has not ruled on whether an individual can be forcibly medicated to be made sane enough to qualify for an execution...