The Eighth Amendment

Source:
Judge Postpones Oken's execution; state appeals. June 15, 2004.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bal-oken0615,0,696812.story?page=1

Constitutional Connection:
 The Amendments, The Eighth Amendment, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
"Nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

Explanation of Connection:

  Steven Oken is a killer in jail, faced with a death sentence. Oken's lawyers are using the Eighth Amendment to argue against their client's death sentence. They called for a hearing to determine if the execution procedures in the State of Maryland, where Oken would be executed, did not violate the Eighth amendment. Oken's lawyers presented the argument that there had been a violation of the Eighth amendment  in 1988, when Tyrone X. Gilliam was executed. They said that there was a leak in the line that delivered the deadly chemicals, to execute Tyrone X. Gilliam. Which means that he would have suffered inhumanely before death. Feeling the actual anesthetic and deadly chemicals being inflicted into his body. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services denied that Tyrone X. Gilliam was a victim of cruel and unusual punishment.

 This article clearly demonstrates The Amendments,The Eighth Amendment,Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Cruel and unusual punishment is not to be inflicted against anyone. Although Steven Oken was sentenced to death, his argument against cruel and unusual punishment was legitimate until proven wrong. He and his attorneys had the right to look into his execution procedures, to assure that they would not violate the Eighth amendment.
 
  Hopefully, the reports concluded by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services were correct, and Tyrone X. Gilliam was executed "humanely and painlessly". Even though he must have committed a horrible crime to be put on death row, he still deserves his Eighth amendment right. If the chemicals delivered during an execution are strong and deadly enough to take some ones life, I could only imagine the pain that would be inflicted for someone to feel the entire thing.