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A ruling handed down by the US Supreme Court today will make it more difficult for the state to execute criminals claiming mental disability. As Matt Galka tells us, anti-death penalty advocates are claiming victory.

Freddie Lee Hall was sentenced to death for killing a HernandoCounty woman and deputy sheriff in the late 70’s.

Hall claimed mental disability and scored a 71 on an IQ test.  Florida’s strict requirements deem anything over a 70 as eligible for execution.

The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hall, deeming that the IQ test isn’t sufficient enough to determine mental disability. Anti-death penalty advocates see it as a victory.

“This is definitely a win, what the supreme court said today is that intellectual disability is a condition, not a number,” said Sheila Meehan with the Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty.

The ruling could affect the fates of criminals currently on death row in Florida

The American Civil Liberties Union used the ruling to rail against the state’s death penalty requirements. A statement from the group’s executive director reads:

“The strict IQ rule struck down by the Supreme Court today is just one example of the many ways in which our state’s death penalty system falls short of constitutional and human rights standards.”

The narrow 5 to 4 ruling by the high court means that Florida must now re-examine Hall to see if he is mentally ill.