| Zant v. Stephens | |
|---|---|
 Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Decided June 22, 1983 | |
| Full case name | Zant v. Stephens |
| Citations | 462 U.S. 862 (more) |
| Holding | |
| Aggravating circumstances in the death penalty context must meaningfully narrow the number of people eligible for the death penalty. As long as a defendant does have an aggravating circumstance, it does not matter if the one actually cited to justify the death penalty in their case is set aside. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Stevens |
| Concurrence | Rehnquist (in judgment) |
| Concur/dissent | White |
| Dissent | Marshall, joined by Brennan |
Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862 (1983), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that aggravating circumstances in the death penalty context must meaningfully narrow the number of people eligible for the death penalty. As long as a defendant does have an aggravating circumstance, it does not matter if the one actually cited to justify the death penalty in their case is set aside.
References
- Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862 (1983).
- Lieberman, Jethro K. (1999). "Aggravating circumstances". A Practical Companion to the Constitution. pp. 39–40.
External links
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