Constitutional Law

High Court Won't Review 'Zoloft Defense' Case

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied certiorari of a South Carolina Supreme Court decision involving a 12-year-old who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering his grandparents.

Christopher Pittman, who in 2001 killed his grandparents with a shotgun and burnt their house down, was convicted of murder and arson and subsequently sentenced to 30 years behind bars. The case drew attention for, among other things, the defense raised at trial in Pittman’s behalf. His lawyers argued that the antidepressant Zoloft had caused his violent behavior. The maker of Zoloft, Pfizer, has denied that the antidepressant was the cause of Pittman’s actions. (The FDA separately mandated that the drug carry a warning that it could increase the risk of suicide in children.)

Pittman’s lawyers unsuccessfully appealed his conviction to the South Carolina Supreme Court arguing that the boy’s lengthy sentence violated the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The state supreme court did not accept that argument, and today’s denial of certiorari means it’s the last word in the case.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on April 14, 2008 (boomark / email).