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.)