Letter: Torture

Sir: Judge Paul Sacco of Colorado punishes teenagers who have their in- car stereos on too loudly by making them listen to the music of such as Dean Martin, Henry Mancini and John Denver (report, 8 March). If he were to make them listen to a recording of Harrison Birtwistle's Panic, would this not constitute, as a "cruel and unusual punishment", a breach of their constitutional rights under the Eighth Amendment?

NIGEL BALDWIN

Portsmouth