Amendment8Bail

//__"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."__// The 8th amendment in the bill of rights was the amendment to prohibit the courts from issuing 'cruel or unusual punishment' for crimes. The punishment for crimes must fit how bad the crime was. Such as, the courts can't sentence a person to death for stealing some food or speeding in a car, that would be considered cruel or unusual. Although if someone was to kill another person they may be sentenced to death as that does fit the crime. Some people think that the death sentence in itself is 'cruel or unusual' and shouldn't be used at all. The death penelty varies from state to state. In Texas, there is a death penalty if the crime is murder. Some people do not agree with the death penalty under any circumstance and have protested it. They don't believe in killing a person even if he has done something terrible.
 * Amendment 8: Bail and Punishment**
 * Analysis**

**Gregg vs. Georgia** In 1976 Gregg was found guilty of robbing and killing another person. The court sentenced him to death. Gregg argued that that kind of punishment was 'cruel and unusual' that violated the 8th amendment of the Bill of Rights and tried for a different sentence. Was he right and was the death sentence 'cruel and unusual'? The court decided to go through with the sentence and said it did not violate the 8th amendment. They said that under cases of extreme criminal acts that the death penalty was OK to be used. **How The 8th amendment helps us** The 8th amendment helps us by limiting the power of the goverment so that they can't issue 'cruel and unusual' punishment against us if we commit a crime. The punishment must fit the crime and can't be crazy if the crime you did was trivial. Although, the punishment must fit the crime which means that if someone does something terrible that the punishment will be equal to that. **Bibliography**

The Oyez Project, Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976), available at:  (last visited Friday, December 5, 2008).

"Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution." __Wikipedia__. 5 Dec. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/eighth_amendment_to_the_united_states_constitution.

Image from: Texas Moratorium Network. "Alternative Spring Break on MTV." __Blog Spot__. TH Mar. 2007. 5 Dec. 2008 http://stopexecutions.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html.

Names of team members: Thaddeus Steven ...Bree