Death In Nebraska: Nebraska AG Bruning Comments on Death Penalty Case

September 4, 2007 -- (Lincoln, NE) Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning today commented on the death penalty case of child killer Raymond Mata of Scottsbluff. Oral arguments were presented to the Nebraska Supreme Court today.

“Today the State argued that electrocution does not violate the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the 8th Amendment,” said Bruning. “We asked the court to uphold the Nebraska Legislature's chosen method of execution and allow justice to move forward.”

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The State argued that the U.S. Supreme Court has never found that any method of execution violates the 8th Amendment. The state district court found Mata offered no convincing evidence that electrocution causes a death-sentenced prisoner "unnecessary pain".

The State also argued that the fact that Nebraska is the only state that authorizes electrocution as its sole method of execution is not relevant. Currently 12 state legislatures have approved electrocution as a method of enforcing death sentences. That number has remained stable over the last decade.

“The problem with the death penalty is the length of time it takes to impose a sentence,” Bruning said. “Victims sometimes wait 20 to 30 years until justice is served.”

Source: Nebraska Attorney General