| Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Rights and Liberties Under the Law Contributor(s): Melusky, Joseph Anthony (Author), Pesto, Keith A. (Author), Stephenson, Donald Grier, Jr. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1576076024 ISBN-13: 9781576076026 Publisher: ABC-CLIO OUR PRICE: $82.17 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: February 2003 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Law | Criminal Law - General - Law | Constitutional |
| Dewey: 345.730 |
| LCCN: 2002155574 |
| Series: America's Freedoms |
| Physical Information: 1.08" H x 6.02" W x 9.46" (1.42 lbs) 400 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution created one of the nation's most valued freedoms but, at the same time, one of its most persistent controversies. On 184 separate occasions, the Supreme Court attempted to decide what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Constitutional scholars Joseph A. Melusky and Judge Keith A. Pesto help readers make sense of the controversy. The authors begin by sketching the context of the debate in a general overview that addresses issues such as excessive bails and fines, and noncapital offenses. But their primary focus is capital punishment. In a detailed, chronologically ordered discussion, they trace the evolving opinion of the nation's highest court from the late 19th century to the present, analyzing issues, arguments, holdings, and outcomes. |