The constitution clearly prohibits cruel punishments. Are you saying that in this case that provision should not be followed?
Cruel...meaning painful for the sake of inflicting pain. Not pain incidental to the method.
No, the Constitution says “Cruel AND Unusual”. Parsing it the way lawyers do, it can be EITHER cruel OR unusual, just not BOTH.
Who determines what is cruel punishment? Apparently juries found parties guilty and those parties were given the death penalty. Are jurors guilty of violating the US Constitution? If that was true, it would be OFF the table, wouldn’t it?
On death sentences, what manner would be acceptable under the Constitution? What would NOT be considered cruel punishment?