The 1972 Furman decision determined that capital punishment was:
A) racist but necessary to deter future crime.
B) racist and unconstitutional due to the uncontrolled discretion of judges and juries in sentencing.
C) not racist since more blacks than whites committed violent crimes.
D) a just way to deal with all rapists, regardless of race.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The 1972 Furman decision ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional as it was being administered, due to the lack of consistent guidelines for sentencing and the potential for racial bias in jury and judicial decisions. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer as it reflects this ruling. Option A is incorrect as the decision found the death penalty unconstitutional, not necessary. Option C is incorrect as the decision did not evaluate criminal statistics but instead focused on the constitutionality of the death penalty as applied. Option D is incorrect as the decision did not pertain specifically to rapists, but the death penalty overall.

The 1972 Furman Decision Determined That Capital Punishment Was