Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

No Excessive Fines

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution:  “Excessive … fines [shall not be] imposed….”  This clause simply means that all fines in criminal cases must be reasonable instead of excessive. 

                W. Cleon Skousen stated:  “Excessive fines are described in the Magna Charta as those penalties which constitute a forfeiture, or deprive a man of his ability to earn a living or pursue his calling and business.  It further provided that the penalty for each crime should be according to the seriousness of the offense.”  (See The Making of America – The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, p. 711.)


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