The eighth amendment in the constitution states, “ Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” What this means is that the punishment should fit the crime. For example if someone was to rob a convenient store, they shouldn’t be sentenced to the death penalty. The death penalty also known as capital punishment is a controversial issue in every state, since every state has a different stance …showed first 75 words of 1482 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1482 total…and unusual punishment inflicted”, it does not say “eye for an eye”! Works Cited http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/exe.htm Bureau of Justice Statistics; U.S Department of Justice http://www.law.cornell.edu Supreme Court case of the United States; Palko v. Connecticut (1937) http://www.law.cornell.edu Supreme court case of the United States; Eddings v. Oklahoma (1982) http://www.abcnews.com “ 13 now on death row” The case of Timothy McVei