51Æ·²è

As an opinion editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator during a historic year of campus protests and federal scrutiny, I saw firsthand how student journalists navigated censorship fears, administrative pressure, and growing national attention.

This case presents the question of whether the execution of a capital defendant with serious mental illness violates Article I, section 6 of the Nevada Constitution, which prohibits cruel or unusual punishment. The 51Æ·²è’s Capital Punishment Project and State Supreme Court Initiative, along with the 51Æ·²è of Nevada, filed an amicus brief arguing that a plain reading of Article I, section 6 of the Nevada Constitution provides broader protections than the Eighth Amendment and should be interpreted to establish a categorical exemption from execution for this population.