Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Definition
Punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; includes torture or other forms of punishment too severe for the crime committed.
Analogy
It's like a teacher giving you a year of detention for forgetting your homework once. The punishment is way too severe compared to the mistake made.
Related terms
Eighth Amendment: As mentioned above, it prohibits excessive bail amounts and cruel and unusual punishment.
Due Process Clause: Part of the 14th Amendment that safeguards from arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property by the government outside the sanction of law.
Roper v. Simmons (2005): A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled it unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed while under the age of 18.
"Cruel and Unusual Punishment" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (4)
Which amendment in the bill of rights protects against cruel and unusual punishment?
How did historical events shape the development of Eighth Amendment's prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishment?
In the context of selective incorporation, which case first expanded the Eighth Amendment's "cruel and unusual punishment" clause to apply to state laws?
Which amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail or fines or cruel and unusual punishment?
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