Revision of the Eighth Amendment

The Bill of Rights is a very important document to American citizens. The Bill of Rights is the beginning part of the American Constitution which is made of the first ten amendments which state our basic rights as United States’ citizens. It ensures us of our freedoms that cannot be taken away from us. However, I do believe that there is a certain amendment out of the ten that should be revised; this would be the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment reads “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” (Legal Dictionary). I believe that this is the only amendment that needs to be revised in the Bill of Rights. I think that if someone was to commit a horrendous crime that excessive bail and fines or cruel and unusual punishments could be necessary in some extreme cases. I am not saying that it is okay that someone should be beheaded, burned alive, or being dissected publically (Cornell Law), but some more minor things could be in ways acceptable. However, I do find it very reasonable to hold someone with excessive bails and/or fines. I think that it is very fair if the government was to hold a bail or fine that is extremely high on someone if they commit certain crimes. If I were personally able to rewrite the Eighth Amendment I would write it as “Excessive bail or fines should not be imposed unless it fits the crime committed, cruel and unusual punishment should also not be imposed unless the need was to arise where the crime was extreme enough for all the jury members should agree on a cruel or unusual punishment.” I think that the Eighth Amendment should be revised because of the extreme crimes that are now being committed are far worse to those compared to...

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...n some peoples’ opinions’ that would be a horrible idea, but I think that if someone was to make people suffer and put them through absolute misery, they should not be let off the hook very easily. So instead of the Eighth Amendment being “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” (Legal Dictionary), it should be “as “Excessive bail or fines should not be imposed unless it fits the crime committed, cruel and unusual punishment should also not be imposed unless the need was to arise where the crime was extreme enough for all the jury members should agree on a cruel or unusual punishment.”.

Works Cited

Legal Dictionary. Farlax. 2013. Web. October 5, 2013
Cornell Law. CRS/LII Annotated Constitution. Cornell University Law School. 2013. Web. October 5, 2013
Murderpedia. 2013. Web. October 5, 2013