Valle v. Florida

Summary

Justice Breyer dissents from the denial of a stay of execution for Manuel Valle, arguing that executing Valle after 33 years on death row violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment due to the psychological toll and diminished retributive purposes. He notes that prolonged incarceration under threat of death is cruel, unusual, and lacks deterrent value, while the State's own procedural failures contributed to the delay.