. ▁The ▁Se vent h ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁( app lied ▁to ▁the ▁states ). ▁ ▁E ighth ▁Am end ment ▁ ▁The ▁E ighth ▁Am end ment ▁forb ids ▁the ▁im position ▁of ▁excess ive ▁b ails ▁or ▁fin es , ▁though ▁it ▁leaves ▁the ▁term ▁" ex cess ive " ▁open ▁to ▁interpretation . ▁The ▁most ▁frequently ▁lit ig ated ▁clause ▁of ▁the ▁am end ment ▁is ▁the ▁last , ▁which ▁forb ids ▁cruel ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment . ▁This ▁clause ▁was ▁only ▁occasionally ▁applied ▁by ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁generally ▁in ▁cases ▁dealing ▁with ▁means ▁of ▁execution . ▁In ▁Fur man ▁v . ▁Georgia ▁( 1 9 7 2 ), ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁found ▁capital ▁pun ishment ▁itself ▁in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁the ▁am end ment , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁clause ▁could ▁reflect ▁" e vol ving ▁standards ▁of ▁dec ency " ▁as ▁public ▁opinion ▁changed ; ▁others ▁found ▁certain ▁practices ▁in ▁capital ▁tri als ▁to ▁be ▁un accept ably ▁arbitrary , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁majority ▁decision ▁that ▁effectively ▁halt ed ▁execution s ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁Exec utions ▁res umed ▁following ▁Gre gg ▁v . ▁Georgia ▁( 1 9 7 6 ), ▁which ▁found ▁capital ▁pun ishment ▁to ▁be ▁constitution al ▁if ▁the ▁j ury ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁concrete ▁sent encing ▁gu idel ines . ▁The ▁Court ▁has ▁also ▁found