Lockyer v. Andrade

Lockyer v. Andrade was a Supreme Court case involving the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishments. Danny Andrade was sentenced to life without parole after stealing videotapes worth about $150. The Court ruled that his sentence was not unconstitutional, emphasizing that the Eighth Amendment does not require the reduction of sentences for non-violent offenses and that judicial discretion in sentencing should be respected. Essentially, the Court upheld Andrade's lengthy prison term, affirming that punishment severity must be proportionate to the crime and that long sentences for repeat offenders are permissible under the Constitution.