Use Website Link: Answer the following questions:

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/481/137/

In what ways have the courts found that the death penalty is "cruel and unusual punishment?

What is the felony-murder doctrine?

In what way(s) did this doctrine give rise to the Tison brothers' claim that their eighth amendment rights had been violated? What did the Gregg Court mean by "evolving standards of decency"?

Is this a valid method for determining whether the death penalty violates the eighth amendment?

What is criminal culpability? Reckless indifference? Were the Tison's criminally culpable? Did they display reckless indifference? Considering your answers to the previous questions, compare the circumstances of the Edmund case to those of the Tison case. Do you agree with the court that the differences are enough to warrant a different decision on whether the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment? Finally, after the Supreme Court handed down its decision, the case worked its way back up to the Arizona Supreme Court. What was the final outcome of this appeal? What was the Arizona Supreme Court's rationale? Do you agree with it?