Eighth Amendment Cruel And Unusual Punishment

Learn more about How it protects you in criminal and civil cases. Overview of EighthAmendment, CruelandUnusualPunishment. Excessive Fines.Evolving or Fixed Standard of CruelandUnusualPunishment. Cruelandunusualpunishment is a concept rooted in the EighthAmendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits excessively harsh penalties and inhumane conditions of incarceration. Two specific pre-enforcement chal-lenges discussed by the Court — EighthAmendmentcruelandunusualpunishment and due process claims — exemplify the Court’s haziness on the path forward. What exactly is a "cruelandunusualpunishment" within the meaning of the EighthAmendment? Did the framers intend only to ban punishments-- such as "drawing and quartering" a prisoner, or having him boiled in oil or burned at the stake--that were recognized as cruel at the time... Supreme Court ruled that a defendant charging cruelandunusualpunishment as a result of his prison conditions must prove a culpable state of mind on the part of prison officials. Passed on September 15, 1789, and ratified December 15, 1791, the EighthAmendment states: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruelandunusualpunishments inflicted.".