Key Supreme Court Cases on the Death Penalty

What was the outcome of Furman v. Georgia (1972)?

The Supreme Court concluded that the death penalty constituted cruel and unusual punishment, forcing states to rethink capital punishment statutes.

What crime did Furman commit that led to his death penalty conviction?

Furman was caught burglarizing a home, accidentally shot and killed someone while trying to flee.

What was the central question in Gregg v. Georgia (1976)?

Is the imposition of the death sentence prohibited under the 8th and 14th amendments?

What conclusion did the Supreme Court reach in Gregg v. Georgia (1976)?

The Court ruled that the death penalty is not prohibited in all circumstances and can be appropriate in extreme criminal cases.

What procedural feature did Georgia have in its capital punishment process during Gregg v. Georgia?

Georgia had a bifurcated trial and sentencing process.

What was the significance of the Atkins v. Virginia (2002) ruling?

The Court concluded that executing mentally disabled individuals constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

What was the crime Atkins was convicted of?

Atkins was convicted of abduction, armed robbery, and capital murder.

What was the main issue in Glossip v. Gross (2015)?

Does Oklahoma's use of midazolam as the initial drug in the execution protocol violate the 8th amendment?

What was the Supreme Court's conclusion in Glossip v. Gross (2015)?

The Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence that midazolam entailed substantial risk of increased pain.

What does the Eighth Amendment prohibit?

The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

What historical concern led to the inclusion of the Eighth Amendment?

There was a worry that harsh punishments would be considered cruel and unusual.

How did the standard for cruel and unusual punishment evolve by the end of the 19th century?

The Court began to consider current societal norms rather than solely the framers' intentions.

What was the significance of the case Weems v. US (1910)?

It established that the Eighth Amendment aims to prevent coercive cruelty and unnecessary infliction of pain.

What does the principle of proportionality in sentencing entail according to the Eighth Amendment?

It prohibits punishments that are disproportionate to the offense committed.

What did the case Graham v. Florida establish regarding juvenile offenders?

It prohibits life without parole sentences for juvenile offenders who did not commit homicide.

What did Miller v. Alabama determine about sentencing juveniles?

It forbids any sentencing scheme that mandates life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide.

What is the limitation of the Eighth Amendment regarding punishments?

The Eighth Amendment applies only to criminal punishments and not to civil processes.

What was the outcome of Rummel v. Estelle regarding mandatory life sentences?

The Court upheld a mandatory life sentence.

What does the case Solem v. Helm illustrate about the Eighth Amendment?

It illustrates that the Eighth Amendment prohibits not only barbaric punishments but also sentences disproportionate to the crime.

What is the significance of the 1878 case Wilkerson v. Utah?

It was one of the early cases where the Court weighed whether a punishment was cruel and unusual.

What does the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment aim to prevent?

It aims to prevent unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.

What does the Eighth Amendment prohibit regarding punishment?

It prohibits punishment that is grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime.

What was the significance of Robinson v. California?

It set aside a conviction under a law making it a crime to be addicted to narcotics, punishing the mere status of being an addict.

What did the case Rhodes v. Chapman establish about prison conditions?

It confirmed that confinement in prison is a form of punishment subject to scrutiny under the Eighth Amendment, and that unconstitutional conditions may exist.

What legislation did Congress authorize in 1980 regarding prison conditions?

The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

What restriction was added in 1996 concerning prison litigation?

The Prison Litigation Reform Act introduced additional restrictions.

What was the ruling in Trop v. Dulles regarding citizenship?

The court found that divestiture of citizenship for a natural-born citizen is cruel and unusual, as it entails statelessness.

What was the outcome of Furman v. Georgia concerning the death penalty?

It ruled that the death penalty violated the Eighth Amendment and involved federal courts in extensive review of capital sentencing laws.

What did the majority in Trop v. Dulles refuse to consider regarding the death penalty?

They refused to consider the death penalty as an index of the constitutional limit on punishment.

What are the requirements for capital sentencing schemes as established by Gregg v. Georgia?

They must draft statutes to correct previous faults, establish standards and procedures to remove arbitrariness, and ensure that only deliberate acts resulting in death are punishable by death.

What does the Eighth Amendment prohibit regarding individuals with severe mental illness?

It prohibits the state from carrying out the death penalty on individuals with severe mental illness, as established in Ford v. Wainwright.

What test was established in Panetti v. Quarterman regarding execution?

The court needs to determine if a prisoner can reach a rational understanding of the reason for their execution.

What did Madison v. Alabama determine about execution and mental impairment?

A person cannot be executed if their concept of reality is so impaired that they cannot grasp the meaning or purpose of the crime and punishment.

What was established in Atkins v. Virginia regarding the death penalty and mentally disabled individuals?

There is a national consensus against the death penalty for mentally disabled individuals.

What did Hall v. Florida limit regarding the definition of intellectual disability?

It limited states' ability to define intellectual disability, stating that IQ tests cannot be solely used to determine this.

What was the ruling in Stanford v. Kentucky concerning minors and the death penalty?

The Eighth Amendment does not prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for individuals who commit crimes at ages 16 or 17.

What did Roper v. Simmons establish about executing minors?

It ruled against the execution of individuals who committed crimes at ages 16 and 17, recognizing their lesser moral culpability.

What was the outcome of Coker v. Georgia regarding non-homicide offenses?

The court ruled that the state may not impose a death sentence upon a rapist who did not take a human life.

What are some reasons juveniles are considered less culpable for their actions?

Juveniles lack maturity and understanding, are more susceptible to negative influences, and their character is not well formed.

What did the Fourth guideline established in 2002 regarding the Sixth Amendment entail?

It states that the right to trial by jury includes the right to have a jury make factual determinations on which a sentencing increase is based.

What is the significance of the term 'aggravating circumstances' in death penalty cases?

States narrowed sentencing authority discretion to require aggravating circumstances for the imposition of the death penalty.

What are the historical methods of execution mentioned in the notes?

Hanging, electrocution, and lethal injections.

What does the Eighth Amendment prohibit?

Cruel and unusual punishments.

What case established that the Eighth Amendment must reflect evolving standards of decency?

Trop v Dulles.

What is the significance of the Glossip v Gross case?

It rejected a challenge to Oklahoma's three-drug injection method.

What must be demonstrated for a method of execution to be considered unconstitutional?

There must be a substantial and objectively intolerable risk of harm.

What is the constitutional stance on the death penalty according to Justice Scalia in Glossip v Gross?

The death penalty is approved by the Constitution.

What is the burden placed on death row inmates regarding execution methods?

Inmates must demonstrate that an alternative method would reduce harm or pain.

What historical period saw a peak in executions?

The 1930s to 1940s.

What was the impact of the civil rights movement on the death penalty?

It contributed to a decline in executions and raised issues of racial bias.

What did the Furman v GA case establish regarding the death penalty?

It issued a general order for a four-year moratorium on the death penalty.

What is the concept of 'living constitutionalism' as it relates to the Eighth Amendment?

It suggests that the Eighth Amendment's meaning evolves with societal standards.

What are some execution methods that are constitutionally forbidden?

Drawing and quartering, disemboweling alive, beheading, public dissection, and burning alive.

What is the viable alternatives doctrine in relation to the death penalty?

The Constitution does not compel every state to use the death penalty, but there are conditions that can make it unconstitutional.

What is the significance of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in relation to the death penalty?

It aimed to represent every defendant on death row and effectively sought to place a moratorium on the death penalty.

What does the term 'bifurcated trial' refer to in death penalty cases?

A trial structure that separates the conviction phase from the sentencing phase.

What is the role of aggravating and mitigating factors in the sentencing phase of a death penalty trial?

They are considered to determine whether the death penalty should be imposed.

What was the effect of the 1990s on the death penalty?

There was a spike in the number of death penalties imposed.

What must be shown to survive a challenge to a method of execution?

An alternative method that would substantially reduce the risk of harm.

What does the term 'proportionality' refer to in the context of the death penalty?

It relates to ensuring that the severity of the punishment fits the gravity of the crime.

What individual characteristics can affect the application of the death penalty?

Mental disability and IQ.

What is the current status of states executing the death penalty?

Only 23 states are currently executing.

What does the term 'cruel and unusual punishment' imply in the context of execution methods?

Execution methods must reflect the morality of society at the time and not be excessively painful.

What is the significance of the Baze v Reeves case?

It addressed whether a three-step execution method constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

What was the trend in death penalty cases after the 2000s?

There was a decline in the number of death penalties imposed.