Death penalty

Definition - Noun
: death as punishment for a crime
see also cruel and unusual punishment Gregg v. Georgia in the Important Cases section
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the death penalty is not inherently violative of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, provided that the method is not deemed cruel and that the punishment is not excessive in relation to the crime. A statute mandating the death penalty is unconstitutional, however. A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances before imposing the death penalty for a crime.



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Based on Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©2001.
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intrinsic fraud

fraud (as by the use of false or forged documents, false claims, or perjured testimony) that deceives the trier of fact and results in a judgment in favor of the party perpetrating the fraud


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