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Gregg v. Georgia Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court upheld Georgia’s revised death penalty statute, holding that capital punishment is not inherently cruel and unusual. The Court found the statute constitutional because its procedural safeguards, including guided jury discretion and automatic appellate review, prevent arbitrary and capricious application.
Legal Significance: This landmark decision effectively ended the moratorium on capital punishment established by Furman v. Georgia. It established that the death penalty is not a per se violation of the Eighth Amendment if the statutory scheme provides guided discretion and appellate safeguards to prevent arbitrary imposition.
Gregg v. Georgia Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Petitioner Troy Gregg was convicted of two counts of armed robbery and two counts of murder. As required by Georgia’s revised capital punishment statute, a separate sentencing hearing was conducted before the same jury. The trial judge instructed the jury that it could only consider imposing the death penalty if it found, beyond a reasonable doubt, the existence of at least one of three statutory aggravating circumstances: (1) the murders were committed during the commission of another capital felony (armed robbery); (2) the murders were committed for the purpose of receiving money and a car; or (3) the murders were outrageously vile, horrible, or inhuman. The jury was also instructed to consider any mitigating circumstances. The jury found the first two aggravating circumstances and returned a verdict of death for each murder count. The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the death sentences for murder, conducting a mandatory review to ensure the sentence was not influenced by prejudice, was supported by evidence of the aggravating factors, and was not disproportionate to sentences in similar cases. The court vacated the death sentences for the armed robbery counts as disproportionate.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of murder under Georgia’s statutory scheme, which requires a bifurcated trial, specific jury findings of aggravating circumstances, and automatic appellate review, violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments’ prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment?
No. The Court held that Georgia’s capital sentencing statute is constitutional because Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, qu
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of murder under Georgia’s statutory scheme, which requires a bifurcated trial, specific jury findings of aggravating circumstances, and automatic appellate review, violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments’ prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment?
Conclusion
*Gregg v. Georgia* established the constitutional framework for the modern death penalty Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit es
Legal Rule
The punishment of death is not a per se violation of the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepte
Legal Analysis
The plurality opinion, delivered by Justice Stewart, first established that capital punishment Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qu
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- The death penalty is not inherently cruel and unusual punishment under