Furman V. Georgia: Cruel And Unusual Punishment (Great Supreme Court Decisions)

Presented clearly and objectively, this series follows key cases from their inception through the highest court and introduces students to the American legal process, important judicial figures, and how each case changed the nation.

in The Summer Of 1967, William Henry Furman Broke Into A House In Savannah, Georgia. He Carried A Pistol That Night In Case He Ran Into Trouble, But He Never Intended To Fire The Gun. Instead, His Plan Was Simply To Rob The House As Quickly And Quietly As Possible Without Running Into Anyone. Unfortunately, Things Didn't Go As Planned For Furman. There Are Different Accounts Of What Happened Next, But One Thing Is Certain: Before Furman Fled The House, His Gun Went Off And Killed A Man. Furman Was Convicted Of Murder And Sentenced To Die In The Electric Chair. This Chain Of Events Provides The Background For The Supreme Court's Landmark Death Penalty Ruling In Furman V. Georgia. This New Title In The Celebrated Great Supreme Court Decisions Series Recounts The Story Behind One Of The Most Controversial Cases Ever To Hit The Nation's Highest Court.

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from The Series Great Supreme Court Decisions, Comes The Controversial Case That Resulted In The Supreme Court's Landmark Death Penalty Ruling In 1976. It Stated That The Death Penalty Is Not A Violation Of The Constitutional Right Prohibiting Cruel And Unusual Punishment, Even Though Four Years Before, The Court Struck Down Death Penalty Laws In The United States. The Author Has Written Over 10 History And Biography Books For Young Adults. He Begins With A Brief History Of The Death Penalty And A Short Description Of The Most Complete Surviving Ancient Legal System, The Code Of Hammurabi. In The 1600s, Colonial America Used The Death Penalty, But It Differed For Each Colony. Prominent Death Penalty Trials Included The Salem Witchcraft Accusations And, Later, The Trial And Hanging Of John Brown In 1857. In 1924, Two Teenagers, Leopold And Loeb Were Accused Of Murdering Another Teenager But Were Sentenced To Life In Prison Rather Than Death. Italian Immigrants, Sacco And Vanzetti, However, Were Not So Fortunate And Were Executed In The Electric Chair, As Was The Accused Kidnapper Of The Baby Son Of Charles Lindberg. Then, In 1967, An Attempted Armed Robbery At The Home Of A Family In Savannah, Georgia, Brought The Furman Case To The Public's Attention. Furman, A Young Black Man Of 26, Claimed His Gun Went Off Accidentally, Killing A Father And Owner Of A House. The Furman Trials And Appeals Through The Georgia Court System Are Summarized By The Author Clearly, So Young Readers Can Understand The Legal Choices And Decisions Of A Jury And Judges. When Furman's Lawyer Finally Presented His Case For Review By The United States Supreme Court, Opponents Of Capital Punishment Hoped Toconvince The High Court To Overturn The Previous Death Penalty Declared. At That Time, There Were Several Cases Before The Court With Black Defendants Whose Cases Were All Reviewed Under One Name, Furman V. Georgia. The Question To Be Decided Would Affect Many People And The Imposition Or Removal Of The Previously Authorized Death Penalty In America. Five Years After The Robbery And Fatal Shot Took Place, And Five Months After The Lawyers Presented Their Arguments In The Supreme Court, The Court Struck Down The Death Penalty By A 5 To 4 Vote, Saying That It Violated The Constitutional Right Against Cruel And Unusual Punishment. The Nine Justices Each Wrote Separate Opinions As To How And Why They Voted As They Did, Producing One Of The Longest Supreme Court Opinions Ever Published At That Time. This Case And The Court's Decision Are Just As Significant Today, When People Still Debate Whether Or Not The Death Penalty Constitutes Cruel And Unusual Punishment For Sentenced Criminals In Our Courts. Succeeding Chapters Deal With What Happened After The Furman V. Georgia Decision Was Handed Down, And Also Describe The Views Of The Death Penalty As Discussed In Our Time. Prominent Contemporary Cases Are Summarized, Including The Oklahoma City Bombing Case And The Sentencing Of Zacarias Moussaoui For Hijacking Planes Which Flew Into The Twin Towers Of The World Trade Center. Picture Credits Are Listed In The Back Of The Book, Along With A Chronology, Glossary, Index, Bibliography, Extensive Notes, And Lists For Further Reading. Mr. Roensch Has Produced A Highly Readable Analysis Of The Topic, Which Is Sure To Stimulate Thoughtful Reflection And Discussion Both In And Out Of The Classroom. Reviewer: Enid Portnoy

Discusses the history of capital punishment, explains the United States Supreme Court's decision in Furman v. Georgia, and explores the impact of this case.