Moore v. Texas (2017)
The 2017 Supreme Court decision in Moore v. Texas established a violation of the Eighth Amendment. The Court determined that Texas improperly applied a non-clinical diagnostic standard for intellectual disability, rejecting the current medical consensus reflected in the DSM-5. This adherence to an outdated, non-clinical methodology constituted a failure to adhere to evolving standards of decency in the execution of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Moore v. Texas (2017)
The 2017 Supreme Court case Moore v. Texas addressed the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment in the context of capital sentencing for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The Court found that Texas's reliance on outdated, non-clinical diagnostic standards, rather than contemporary medical consensus as reflected in the DSM-5, constituted a violation of the Eighth Amendment. The state's adherence to an inflexible, non-clinical assessment method, ignoring current medical diagnostic criteria for intellectual disability, was deemed unconstitutional. The decision underscored the necessity of employing current medical standards in determining intellectual disability for capital punishment purposes.
The Supreme Court's 2017 Ruling on Intellectual Disability
The 2017 Supreme Court case addressed the Eighth Amendment and capital punishment. The Court decided that Texas violated the Eighth Amendment by ignoring modern medical standards for intellectual disability. These standards are outlined in the DSM-5, a recognized diagnostic manual. Instead of using these guidelines, Texas relied on an outdated and clinically unsound test. This led to the Court's finding of an Eighth Amendment violation.
The Supreme Court Case
In 2017, the Supreme Court said Texas went against the rules when it decided who had intellectual disabilities. Texas used an outdated test, ignoring what doctors now know from the DSM-5, a book that helps diagnose mental health issues. The Court said this violated the 8th Amendment, which protects people from cruel and unusual punishment.