Which amendment prohibits excessive bail or fines and cruel or unusual punishment?

• A. The 5th Amendment
• B. The 6th Amendment
• C. The 8th Amendment
• D. The 14th Amendment

Answer: (C)

The Eighth Amendment sets the limits on punishment and financial penalties. It prohibits excessive bail and excessive fines, ensuring that the amount set for securing a defendant’s release or for punishing wrongdoing isn’t unreasonably high. It also bars cruel and unusual punishment, protecting individuals from barbaric or disproportionate penalties. Although this protection originally applied to the federal government, it has been incorporated against the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, so these safeguards apply broadly. Other amendments cover different rights (due process, speedy trials, counsel, etc.), but only the Eighth specifically addresses both excessive bail or fines and cruel or unusual punishment.