In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), why was the death penalty found to be unconstitutional?
Life without parole was the most appropriate punishment.
It was being applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner.
The federal law prohibited the death penalty.
All states had to use the same methods to administer the death penalty.
The correct answer is: It was being applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner.
In Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was being administered arbitrarily and inconsistently across states, violating the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The decision did not make the death penalty itself unconstitutional, but rather the way it was being applied. The Court concluded that the imposition of the death penalty was influenced by factors such as race, social status, and geography, leading to an arbitrary and discriminatory system. This ruling resulted in a suspension of capital punishment in the United States until new guidelines and procedures were established to ensure a more consistent and fair application of the death penalty.