Cruel and Unusual Punishment — related Supreme Court cases
This page groups Supreme Court cases that involve the constitutional concept “Cruel and Unusual Punishment”. Use it to explore related decisions and see how the same idea shows up across different cases.
“Cruel and Unusual Punishment” is:
Limits on excessive, disproportionate, or inhumane punishments.
Source: Eighth Amendment Where this concept definition/label comes from (for example, a constitutional provision or a reference framework).
Cases
These are cases where this concept was identified as relevant. Click a case to view its summary, holding, and supporting syllabus excerpts.
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Goldey v. Fields
30th June 2025
The case involves an Eighth Amendment claim regarding excessive force, which is central to the Court's decision.
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Hamm v. Smith
4th November 2024
The case involves the vacating of a death sentence based on intellectual disability, which relates to the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
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City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
28th June 2024
The case directly addresses whether the enforcement of public-camping laws against homeless individuals constitutes 'cruel and unusual punishment' under the Eighth Amendment.
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Thornell v. Jones
30th May 2024
The case involves the imposition of the death penalty, which implicates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
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Nance v. Ward
23rd June 2022
The case involves a challenge to the method of execution under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
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United States v. Tsarnaev
4th March 2022
The case involves the application of the Federal Death Penalty Act and the exclusion of certain evidence during sentencing, which relates to the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
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Lombardo v. St. Louis
28th June 2021
The case discusses whether the use of force was excessive, which relates to the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.
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Borden v. United States
10th June 2021
The case discusses the appropriateness of enhanced sentencing under ACCA, which could relate to the proportionality of punishment.
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Jones v. Mississippi
22nd April 2021
The case addresses the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, specifically regarding life-without-parole sentences for juveniles.
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United States v. Briggs
10th December 2020
The case discusses the applicability of the death penalty for rape under the UCMJ in light of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
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Taylor v. Riojas
2nd November 2020
The case centers on whether the conditions of confinement violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
