Which U.S. Supreme Court case temporarily struck down the death penalty in 1972?

The U.S. Supreme Court case that temporarily struck down the death penalty in 1972 is Furman v. Georgia. This landmark decision concluded that the way in which the death penalty was administered in the United States could lead to arbitrary and discriminatory outcomes, which violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The Court's ruling effectively rendered the death penalty unconstitutional at that time under the existing statutes. The justices highlighted concerns about racial disparities and the lack of consistent application in capital sentencing.

This case led to a moratorium on the death penalty across the country until states reformed their laws to address the Court’s concerns about fairness and due process in capital cases. The importance of this decision was profound, as it spurred states to revise their death penalty statutes in order to reinstate capital punishment in a manner that would pass constitutional muster.