Eighth Amendment
no excessive bail; no cruel or unusual punishments.
Examples of The Amendment
•A man steals a candy bar and he is sentenced to life in prison.
•A woman shoots her husband and she has to drink rotten milk for 4 years straight.
•A boy is selling drug and he has 2 days in jail.
•A girl is in possession of drugs and has to do 150 cartwheels everyday.
History of The Amendment
It is almost exactly like the English Common Law. It began in England when the King punished a man by the name of Oates; Oates was always wrongly accusing people of breaking laws and when the King found out about Oates ways he began punishing him by whipping for two days and then dragging his barely alive body behind a cart. After this the law came into place which was soon shaped into the Eighth Amendment.
Is the Amendment a good or bad idea?
It is a good idea because it has been helping us punish people the correct way for whatever crime they have committed. It, is keeping people in prison for however long is needed to teach them a lesson and to keep our country safer. The amendment is also helping us to keep punishments fair and reasonable.