the case of furman v. georgia (1972) resulted in a reinterpretation of the meaning of

the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Eighth Amendment protects individuals from cruel and unusual punishment, and prior to Furman v. Georgia, most state courts had interpreted the Amendment to mean that capital punishment was constitutional as long as there were safeguards in place to ensure fair and consistent sentencing. In Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the death sentences imposed on two convicted murderers, arguing that the imposition of the death penalty without any sort of reasonable criteria for meting out this particular punishment violated the Eighth Amendment. This ruling led to a reinterpretation of the meaning of the Eighth Amendment, which now generally means that capital punishment is unconstitutional in most cases, although certain exceptions can be made when "compelling circumstances exist."

the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The court held that the death penalty was cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, and therefore unconstitutional. The court also ruled that states could not impose mandatory death sentences, and that the death penalty must be administered with discretion and rationality. The decision had a major impact on capital punishment law in the United States and is still regularly cited to this day.