Some major court cases involving the death penalty
Kennedy v. Louisiana
A man was convicted to death for the rape of his eight year old stepdaughter. It raised the question of whether it was constitutional to impose the death penalty on someone who did not murder another person.
Baze v. Rees
Two men were convicted for murder and were sentenced to death. They tried to argue that the use of lethal injection violated the eighth amendment to the constitution, which protects us from cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling, however, was upheld in court because lethal injection proves to be the most humane way of putting someone to death without causing any unnecessary pain or suffering.
Roper v. Simmons
A young man committed murder at the age of 17 and a year later he was given the death penalty. The court had to reverse the ruling because, under the eighth amendment, one cannot be sentenced the death penalty for a crime that was committed under the age of 18.
Ring v. Arizona
A man was convicted of first degree murder and was given a sentence of life in prison. A state judge then increased his sentence to death; however, the sentence was reversed because in order for a sentence to be increased to death it must go through a jury.
Atkins v. Virginia
A man was convicted of murder and given the death penalty, despite the defense making it clear that the man was mildly retarded. The ruling was reversed because the supreme court believed that death is not a suitable punishment for a mentally retarded criminal.
Coker v. Georgia
A man was put in prison for murder and rape. He later escaped and raped and kidnapped another woman. When he was captured he released the the woman with no further injuries. The court gave him the death penalty for the rape of the woman, but had to reverse the sentence on the grounds that the death penalty is too excessive for the crime of rape.
Gregg v. Georgia
A man was convicted of armed robbery and murder and was given the death sentence. In his appeal, the man tried to claim that the sentence violated the 8th amendment because the jury "wantonly and freakishly" imposed the death sentence.
Furman v. Georgia
A man was burglarizing a home when he tried to escape and his gun fired and killed the resident of the home. The man was convicted of murder. This case was pared with other cases that didn't have the severity of death and the death penalty was reversed.
A man was convicted to death for the rape of his eight year old stepdaughter. It raised the question of whether it was constitutional to impose the death penalty on someone who did not murder another person.
Baze v. Rees
Two men were convicted for murder and were sentenced to death. They tried to argue that the use of lethal injection violated the eighth amendment to the constitution, which protects us from cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling, however, was upheld in court because lethal injection proves to be the most humane way of putting someone to death without causing any unnecessary pain or suffering.
Roper v. Simmons
A young man committed murder at the age of 17 and a year later he was given the death penalty. The court had to reverse the ruling because, under the eighth amendment, one cannot be sentenced the death penalty for a crime that was committed under the age of 18.
Ring v. Arizona
A man was convicted of first degree murder and was given a sentence of life in prison. A state judge then increased his sentence to death; however, the sentence was reversed because in order for a sentence to be increased to death it must go through a jury.
Atkins v. Virginia
A man was convicted of murder and given the death penalty, despite the defense making it clear that the man was mildly retarded. The ruling was reversed because the supreme court believed that death is not a suitable punishment for a mentally retarded criminal.
Coker v. Georgia
A man was put in prison for murder and rape. He later escaped and raped and kidnapped another woman. When he was captured he released the the woman with no further injuries. The court gave him the death penalty for the rape of the woman, but had to reverse the sentence on the grounds that the death penalty is too excessive for the crime of rape.
Gregg v. Georgia
A man was convicted of armed robbery and murder and was given the death sentence. In his appeal, the man tried to claim that the sentence violated the 8th amendment because the jury "wantonly and freakishly" imposed the death sentence.
Furman v. Georgia
A man was burglarizing a home when he tried to escape and his gun fired and killed the resident of the home. The man was convicted of murder. This case was pared with other cases that didn't have the severity of death and the death penalty was reversed.