Marcia Coyle explains today’s Supreme Court arguments on IQ and
the death penalty  BY Marcia Coyle  March 3, 2014 at 8:06 PM EDT
Supreme CourtTwelve years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3
decision, held that the execution of mentally retarded persons
violated the Constitution. On Monday when the rest of the
federal government enjoyed a snow day, the justices returned to
this area of the law to examine how one state determines who is
“intellectually disabled” and exempt from the death penalty.  In
the last 12 years, the term “mental retardation” has fallen into
disfavor with the psychological and social welfare community.
Instead, “intellectual disability” is the preferred term, and
the justices in oral arguments on Monday, for the most part,
adopted the current phrase.  However, after those arguments, it
seemed unlikely that a majority would adopt the state of
Florida’s approach to deciding who is intellectually disabled
for purposes of a death sentence.  Freddie Lee Hall, on
Florida’s death row for the