injection. Understandably, family members of murder victims want the murderer to.
suffer as much pain as the victim did, but before rewarding revenge, the goveronment.
has the take into consideration the Constitutional rights of the murderer. .
The eight amendment of the Constitution states that " excessive bail. fines.
or cruel and unusual punishment'' shall not be inflicted upon a defendant. How can.
one argue that taking anothers life is not cruel and unusual punishment? .
In the case of Furman v. Georgia., a black man named Furman attempted.
to rob a house. In the process, one of the owners of the house caught him. As.
Furman tried to get away, he fell on his gun and it fired and killed the owner. What we.
must ask our selves is does this man deserve to be put to death, and does capital.
punishment go against the eighth and fourteenth amendments.
Furman was convicted of murder and sentenced to death but the judgement .
was reversed and remanded which leaves the question of "Does the imposition and .
carrying out of the death penalty constitute cruel and unusual punishment in violation.
of the 8th and 14th amendments?" 403 U.S.952 (1971).
Another case, Lockett v. Ohio, a woman named " Sandra Lockett had driven the.
getaway car for a robbery that resulted in the murder of a shopowner" Taking Sides:.
Legal Issues. Sandra was found guilty and sentenced to death. Once again, the question.
is: did the state violate her garunteed privliges as a citizen. And once again, the answer.
is yes. The judgement was reversed because the court failed to allow into evidence the.
extent to Locketts involvement in the initial crime. Although she played an important.
role in the crime, the fact of the matter is that she did not kill a human being.
therefore she should not be killed.
These cases prove that death by any means is a " Cruel and Unusual" punishment.
for any crime. .
Another problem with the death penalty is the potential for wrongful conviction.
