Eighth Amendment

Definition

The provision of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting 'cruel and unusual punishments.' The Supreme Court has interpreted this to forbid executing certain categories of people, including those who are intellectually disabled, based on the 'evolving standards of decency' of American society.

Examples

• •The entire case turns on whether Alabama's method of evaluating intellectual disability claims violates the Eighth Amendment by potentially allowing execution of someone who is truly intellectually disabled.

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