Which case directly reinstated the death penalty under a new framework following Furman’s ruling?

Which case directly reinstated the death penalty under a new framework following Furman’s ruling?

• A. Furman v. Georgia
• B. Gregg v. Georgia
• C. Griswold v. Connecticut
• D. Reed v. Reed

Answer: (B)

After Furman v. Georgia, the Court struck down the death penalty as it had been administered, finding it carried out in an arbitrary and capricious way. The question asks which case reestablished capital punishment under a new framework. Gregg v. Georgia answered this by upholding the death penalty when States adopted a structured procedure: a two-stage trial with a separate penalty phase, explicit aggravating and mitigating factors to guide the sentencing decision, and automatic appellate review. This framework was designed to curb arbitrariness that Furman highlighted, allowing executions to resume in states that implemented those reforms. The other cases don't address capital punishment or the required procedural framework—Griswold deals with privacy and contraception, Reed deals with gender discrimination in estate administration.

After Furman v. Georgia, the Court struck down the death penalty as it had been administered, finding it carried out in an arbitrary and capricious way. The question asks which case reestablished capital punishment under a new framework. Gregg v. Georgia answered this by upholding the death penalty when States adopted a structured procedure: a two-stage trial with a separate penalty phase, explicit aggravating and mitigating factors to guide the sentencing decision, and automatic appellate review. This framework was designed to curb arbitrariness that Furman highlighted, allowing executions to resume in states that implemented those reforms. The other cases don't address capital punishment or the required procedural framework—Griswold deals with privacy and contraception, Reed deals with gender discrimination in estate administration.