Modern Day Death Penalty: Furman V. Georgia
The establishment of the death penalty dates back to around the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. Over the years, the death penalty and its purpose has varied and changed. Furman versus Georgia is what sparked the modern day death penalty era. The Supreme Court Case dealt with an African-American man, William Henry Furman, in which he was convicted of murder. The decision that resulted from Furman versus Georgia enforced many states along with the national legislature to reevaluate their level of capital offense in order to guarantee that the death penalty would not be conducted in an unjust manner. The outcome of the decision from Furman versus Georgia triggered confusion concerning the death penalty. It led
the Supreme Court to rule that the death penalty systems ongoing were considered to be unconstitutional violations of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual” punishments. Although the Supreme Court did not discard the death penalty completely, they did rule that some parts of states’ penalty arrangement was considered to unconstitutional and immoral. This is where Gregg versus Georgia comes into play. On November 21, of 1973, Troy Leon Gregg along with a traveling companion, Floyd Allen were hitchhiking north in Florida. As they were hitchhiking, they were picked up by Fred Simmons and Bob Moore. Along their journey, their car ended up breaking down. Despite their car breaking down, that did not stop them. The four of them decided to continue north after Simmons decided to purchase another vehicle with some extra cash he had with him. Throughout their long journey, the four of them felt the need to take a rest stop along the highway. That next morning it turned out that the bodies of Simmons and Moore were discovered in a ditch nearby. Troy Leon Gregg was convicted of murdering Fred Edward Simmons and Bob Durwood Moore. Along with being convicted of murder, he had also been found guilty of armed robbery as well. Due to these accusations, Troy Gregg was sentenced to death. However, Troy Gregg asked the Court to go further than it had done in the Furman case, along with asking them to rule that the death penalty itself was unconstitutional.
the Supreme Court to rule that the death penalty systems ongoing were considered to be unconstitutional violations of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual” punishments. Although the Supreme Court did not discard the death penalty completely, they did rule that some parts of states’ penalty arrangement was considered to unconstitutional and immoral. This is where Gregg versus Georgia comes into play. On November 21, of 1973, Troy Leon Gregg along with a traveling companion, Floyd Allen were hitchhiking north in Florida. As they were hitchhiking, they were picked up by Fred Simmons and Bob Moore. Along their journey, their car ended up breaking down. Despite their car breaking down, that did not stop them. The four of them decided to continue north after Simmons decided to purchase another vehicle with some extra cash he had with him. Throughout their long journey, the four of them felt the need to take a rest stop along the highway. That next morning it turned out that the bodies of Simmons and Moore were discovered in a ditch nearby. Troy Leon Gregg was convicted of murdering Fred Edward Simmons and Bob Durwood Moore. Along with being convicted of murder, he had also been found guilty of armed robbery as well. Due to these accusations, Troy Gregg was sentenced to death. However, Troy Gregg asked the Court to go further than it had done in the Furman case, along with asking them to rule that the death penalty itself was unconstitutional.