Eighth Amendment and Death Penalty Cases

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

Unconstitutional for the government to revoke the citizenship of a natural-born citizen as a punishment. "Evolving standards of decency mark the progress of a maturing society"

Placed a moratorium on the death penalty, due to the arbitrary nature of sentencing.

The death penalty was ruled to be constitutional under Georgia's bifurcated review process.

"Insane" offenders cannot be executed and are entitled to a hearing to determine competence; the court did not define incompetence for execution

Supreme Court ruled that the use of peremptory challenges specifically to exclude African American jurors violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Supreme Court rejects a challenge of Georgia's death penalty on grounds of statistical study that supported the racially arbitrary nature of the death penalty.

Upheld the constitutionality of capital punishment for juveniles in accordance with society's "evolving standards of decency".

People are intellectually disabled and thus ineligible by the death penalty if
1) have an IQ score below 70
2) lack fundamental social and practical skills
3) both conditions are present before the age of 18

Standards of decency have evolved so that executing juveniles is unconstitutional.

Scott Louis Panetti was convicted of the murder of his wife's parents and sentenced to death, but had a history of mental illness. However, he was aware of his crime, so was not protected by Ford v. Wainright. Court ultimately did not answer question.

Mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders.

IQ tests alone cannot be used as a rigid limit for determining intellectual disability.

To be unconstitutional, a method of execution must involve any risk of harm which is substantive when compared to a known and available alternative.

Florida law giving judges the power to decide acts relating to sentencing violates the sixth amendment under Ring v. Alabama.

Jury, not judge, must find the aggravating factors necessary for imposing the death penalty, not simply issue recommendations.

Vernon Madison has been on death row for over 30 years, and has suffered several serious strokes, rendering him unable to remember the crime he is to be executed for.

His severe memory loss and poor overall functioning arguably make him ineligible for the death penalty, but the case is still pending in SCOTUS.

Pending: incorporation of the excessive fines clause

-Trial/guilt phase
-Sentencing phase