Describe Three of the Constitutional Challenges to Capital Punishment That

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The Answer is 1. Furman v. Georgia (1972): In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty as it was being applied at the time was unconstitutional. The court found that the arbitrary and discriminatory way in which the death penalty was being imposed violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The court's reasoning was that the death penalty was being applied in an arbitrary and capricious manner, with factors such as race and socioeconomic status playing a significant role in who received the death penalty.

2. Gregg v. Georgia (1976): In this case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty, ruling that it was not inherently cruel and unusual punishment. The court reasoned that the new Georgia death penalty statute, which provided for a bifurcated trial and sentencing procedure, provided adequate safeguards to prevent the arbitrary and capricious imposition of the death penalty. The court also found that the death penalty could serve the legitimate penological goal of retribution.

3. Roper v. Simmons (2005): In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for juveniles was unconstitutional. The court found that the evolving standards of decency in society and the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment prohibited the execution of individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crime. The court's reasoning was that juveniles are less culpable than adults due to their immaturity and lack of fully developed brains, and therefore should not be subject to the ultimate punishment of death.

These cases demonstrate the ongoing constitutional challenges to capital punishment and the Supreme Court's evolving interpretation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments in relation to the death penalty.

Describe Three of the Constitutional Challenges to Capital Punishment That

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