Amendments 7 and 8
Juries, Bail, and Unusual Punishments
Seventh Amendment as Stated in the Constitution
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of common law.
What the Seventh Amendment Means
In civil cases, a person can sue another if what they're suing for is over 20$. For example, if someone sued me over 2$ sunglasses, it would not be allowed under the Constitution. Civil cases include car accidents or house sales. The second part of this amendment describes how you are allowed to have a trial with a jury. You also have the option of just having the judge hear the case and make the decision himself. Without this amendment, if you were to get into a situation where the defendant was friends with the judge, you'd still have an unbiased jury to make the final decision.
Civil Trials (7th Amendment)
Eighth Amendment as Stated in the Constitution
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
What the Eighth Amendment Really Means
In the first half of the 8th amendment, "excessive bails/fines," means that courts can not issue large amounts of fines/ bails for an accused person. Bail is money guaranteed to the accused for them to show up in court. However, if the accused person does not end up showing up, then the bail money is done. If the crime is very serious, the bail will end up being higher than lesser crimes. The second half of the 8th amendment is the most controversial due to how vague it is. Many ponder what exactly cruel/ unusual punishment would be. The death penalty is the most talked about considering cruel or unusual punishment. Examples include any punishment that is deemed illogical and a waste of time.
The 8th Amendment