Essay On The 8th Amendment - 1791 Words

The Most Significant Amendment in the Bill of Rights Throughout the history of this ever-expanding nation as well as many others, there have been times in which words alone were able to stop an action. Consequences were bountiful and punishment seemed to be thought of on the fly. For instance, a convicted murderer may have gotten thrown in jail, however a man who may have sneezed on the king would have been burned at the stake for â€Å"Crimes against the Kingdom.† In modern times it seems nearly impossible to think that such unfathomable treatment was commonplace and, worse yet, a public spectacle. After many years of being free of British rule, the Framers of the United States Constitution had envisioned a society based on the treatment from†¦show more content†¦This is a very appropriate analogy because neither the date nor year is mentioned, leaving only facts. A man was killed and his murderer was hung. Those 2 minor details lay out the entire scenario from start to end. This is identical to how the world had work ed. You could charge a man for stealing a loaf of bread as easily and readily as you could cut off his hands for doing the same thing. In modern times however, variables can determine severity of consequence in a way that creates a â€Å"fair† decision based on preponderance of evidence including time, location, gender, mental inclination, political views and any other random inconveniences that may lead to conflict either internally or physically. In light of this topic, another portion of the original writing, â€Å"...excessive fines† can be discussed. Rather than all acts leading to the same punishment, there are varying levels of severity to each issue. A very common example of this would be tax evasion. (1) Tax evasion essentially means filling out tax forms with knowingly incorrect figures and data. (2) As a direct result of tax evasion, convicted criminals are presented with penalties varying from either 1-5 years in prison or a $100,000 fine maximum. Once agai n, variables play a tremendous role of importance in this form of punishment. Often times, tax evasion is played off into a fine and while incarceration is still a prevalent issue it is far less moreShow MoreRelatedEssay The 8th Amendment1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe 8th Amendment In the United States Constitution, the 8th Amendment prohibits the use and practices of cruel and unusual punishment. What exactly is considered to be cruel and unusual punishment? This question is a hot topic among Americas many different current controversies. Many people are saying that the use of capital punishment (to be sentenced to death as a penalty in the eyes of the law [a capital crime]. 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