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Gregg v. Georgia

Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia: The Background
The case of Gregg v. Georgia begins with a man named Troy Leon Gregg. This man was imprisoned within the state of Georgia after he was found guilty of murdering two people in 1973. Following his trial, the jury found Troy Leon Gregg guilty and originally sentenced him to death. Troy Leon Gregg was the first person in the history of the United States whose death sentence was accepted by the United States Supreme Court; however, the night before he was supposed to be killed, Gregg escaped from prison and was killed in North Carolina following a fight. 

Gregg v. Georgia: The Case Profile

The case of Gregg v. Georgia took place on March 30th of 1976. The case dealt with administrative law; this legal field regulates the “due process” clause of the United States Constitution. The due process clause is defined as the government’s obligation to respect and uphold the legal rights of American people during and after they are arrested. Both the Federal and state governments are required to protect and preserve a person’s human rights and liberties. All governments of the United States are required to treat citizens in a fair and respectful manner during the arrest process. 

During his prison sentence, Troy Leon Gregg and other inmates who were on death row claimed that a death sentence was a direct violation of the 8th and 14th amendments to the United States Constitution. The date of the Gregg v. Georgia case was decided on July 2nd, 1976. The Gregg v. Georgia was heard in the United States Supreme Court. 

Gregg v. Georgia: The Verdict

The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state in Georgia in Gregg v. Georgia. The United States Supreme Court stated that the execution of Troy Leon Gregg was Constitutional due to the fact that Mr. Gregg was tried, head and sentenced through a formal judicial system. Furthermore, in Gregg v. Georgia, the jury who was responsible for sentencing the man to death was determined to hear and analyze the details surrounding the case in a respectful manner. The Supreme Court of the United States, in essence, found that the judicial system worked and that Troy Leon Gregg was deserving of the death sentence. 

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