Planet Money Planet Money

Should the fine have to fit the crime?

2025-10-24 00:00:00 +0000 UTC ·25m 45s ·by NPR
Should the fine have to fit the crime?
Planet Money
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About this episode

The U.S. Constitution famously outlaws “cruel and unusual punishments.” But there’s another, far more obscure part of the Constitution called the Excessive Fines Clause, which basically says that the fine has to fit the crime. So far, the Supreme Court has been pretty mysterious about what that mean