Furman v. Georgia

Furman v. Georgia (1972) was a landmark Supreme Court case that challenged the constitutionality of the death penalty in the United States. The Court ruled that the way death sentences were imposed was often arbitrary and capricious, violating the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This decision effectively halted capital punishment in many states, as it led to a reevaluation of how death penalties were administered. The ruling emphasized the need for fair and consistent standards in sentencing, shaping subsequent legal debates about the death penalty and its implementation.