Supreme Court of Connecticut
State v. Peeler
June 7, 2016
Summary
This concurring opinion joins the judgment reversing the defendant's death sentence because a recent precedent held that execution of offenders who committed capital felonies before the prospective repeal of the death penalty violates the state constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The concurrence reasons that stare decisis weighs strongly against overruling that precedent when the only significant change is the court's membership, particularly in a death-penalty case where rapid doctrinal change would threaten institutional legitimacy and public confidence.