Patrick Kennedy was sentence to death in 2003 for rapping his 8 year old step-daughter in Louisiana.
The Supreme Court reserve capital punishment for murder only.
Patrick would have been the first since 1964 to be put to death for a crime in which the victim did not die.

Florida, Montana, Oklahoma and South Carolina have death-penalty laws for rape, but have not applied them in decades. Texas enacted a version a year ago, but no defendant has been designated death-eligible for child rape in any state but Louisiana.

I have to agree with the Supreme Court for this one.
I believe in justice, however death for rape is a little over board.
Not that rapist should not face a harsh sentence, I just believe death should be reserved for those who have killed.

Although his step-daughter will struggle growing up and face many emotional challenges, it is still possible for her to recover and live a normal and successful life.