Cruel and unusual punishment, non-death penalty: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Cruel and unusual punishment, non-death penalty,” part of the Criminal Procedure area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 26 decisions, newest first

• City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
  144 S. Ct. 2202Decided June 28, 20246–3Neil M. Gorsuch
• Jones v. Mississippi
  141 S. Ct. 1307Decided April 22, 20216–3Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Taylor v. Riojas
  141 S. Ct. 52Decided November 2, 20207–1Per curiam
• Margaret Minneci v. Richard Lee Pollard
  565 U.S. 118Decided January 10, 20128–1Stephen G. Breyer
• Edmund G. Brown, Jr. v. Marciano Plata
  563 U.S. 493Decided May 23, 20115–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Terrance Jamar Graham v. FloridaLaw held unconstitutional
  560 U.S. 48Decided May 17, 20106–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Joe Harris Sullivan v. Florida
  560 U.S. 181Decided May 17, 20109–0Per curiam
• Gary Albert Ewing v. California
  538 U.S. 11Decided March 5, 20035–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• United States v. Hosep Krikor BajakajianLaw held unconstitutional
  524 U.S. 321Decided June 22, 19985–4Clarence Thomas
• Dee Farmer v. Edward Brennan
  511 U.S. 825Decided June 6, 19949–0David H. Souter
• Richard Lyle Austin v. United States
  509 U.S. 602Decided June 28, 19939–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Donald L. Helling v. William McKinney
  509 U.S. 25Decided June 18, 19937–2Byron R. White
• Keith J. Hudson v. Jack McMillian
  503 U.S. 1Decided February 25, 19927–2Sandra Day O'Connor
• Ronald Allen Harmelin v. Michigan
  501 U.S. 957Decided June 27, 19915–4Antonin Scalia
• Pearly L. Wilson v. Richard Seiter
  501 U.S. 294Decided June 17, 19915–4Antonin Scalia
• Whitley v. Albers
  475 U.S. 312Decided March 4, 19865–4Sandra Day O'Connor
• Solem v. Helm
  463 U.S. 277Decided June 28, 19835–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Hutto v. Davis
  454 U.S. 370Decided January 11, 19826–3Per curiam
• Rhodes v. Chapman
  452 U.S. 337Decided June 15, 19818–1Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Rummel v. Estelle
  445 U.S. 263Decided March 18, 19805–4William H. Rehnquist
• Alabama v. Pugh
  438 U.S. 781Decided July 3, 19786–3Per curiam
• Ingraham v. Wright
  430 U.S. 651Decided April 19, 19775–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Estelle v. Gamble
  429 U.S. 97Decided November 30, 19768–1Thurgood Marshall
• Powell v. Texas
  392 U.S. 514Decided June 17, 19685–4Thurgood Marshall
• Bitter v. United States
  389 U.S. 15Decided October 16, 19678–0Per curiam
• Robinson v. CaliforniaLaw held unconstitutional
  370 U.S. 660Decided June 25, 19626–2Potter Stewart

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error