Which case addressed death penalty governance and established a framework for its application?

• A. Furman v. Georgia
• B. Roper v. Simmons
• C. Miller v. Alabama
• D. Gregg v. Georgia

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how the Supreme Court structured the way the death penalty can be used to prevent arbitrary and capricious sentencing. After Furman flagged that capital punishment was being applied in a highly arbitrary way and effectively paused its use, Gregg v. Georgia provided a concrete framework to govern its application. In this decision, the Court upheld the death penalty but only under procedural safeguards: a two-stage trial with a separate penalty phase, during which juries consider specific aggravating and mitigating factors, and automatic appellate review to assess proportionality. These elements shift sentencing from whim or bias toward individualized consideration and consistent standards, making the punishment more predictable and reviewable. The other cases focus on related but narrower issues—Furman highlighted the problem of arbitrariness and prompted a moratorium, while the later cases limit death penalties for juveniles and do not establish the general governance framework for capital punishment.