Cengage Advantage Books: Introduction to Business Law 4th Edition by Timothy Koch, Jeffrey Beatty, Jeffrey Beatty, Susan Samuelson, Susan Samuelson

Exercise 3

California passed a "three strikes" law, dramatically increasing sentences for repeat offenders. If defendants with two or more serious convictions were convicted of a third felony, the court had to sentence them to life imprisonment. Such a sentence required the defendant to actually serve a minimum of 25 years, and in some cases much more. Gary Ewing, on parole from a 9-year prison term, was prosecuted for stealing three golf clubs worth $399 each. Because he had prior convictions, the crime, normally a misdemeanor, was treated as a felony. Ewing was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life. Did Ewing's sentence violate the Eighth Amendment