#8 Excessive Punishment
Excessive Punishment
Courts cannot give too much punishment
EX: Death Penalty
Brief Background
The Excessive Bail Clause of the 1689 English Bill of Rights was a response to the practice of some judges who set bails high to avoid having to release defendants on writs of habeas corpus
Ratified
September 25,1789
Why is it still important?
The 8th Amendment is important because it protects the individual from excessive bail or fines, and from "cruel and unusual punishments." The "cruel and unusual punishments" clause has been the most important and the most widely debated