What Is The Supreme Court Case Of Coker Vs Georgia

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Court case Coker v. Georgia was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, 1977. Erlich Anthony Coker committed the crime of escaping from prison, breaking into a house, committing armed robbery against the residents of the house, rape and kidnapping of the women inside the house, and stealing the residents car. Before Coker escaped prison he was serving a sentence for murder, rape, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. Coker escaped from prison and broke into the home of Elnita and Allen Carver, he then threatened the Carvers, tied up Allen Carver in the bathroom. He proceeded to the kitchen to get a knife then took money and the keys to the Carver's car. Coker then raped Elnita Carver and put her in the car. After Coker took the car with Elnita Carver inside Allen Coker was able to untie himself and call the police and Coker was arrested. …show more content…

The people charge him for all of these crimes and he was found guilty by a jury in the Superior Court of Georgia. He was sentenced to death under the Georgia statutes that permitted capital punishment for aggravated crimes. Crimes committed before, convicted for murder a capital felony, moral corruption, and committing the crime after escaping jails were all aggravated factors. Coker appealed his sentencing to death for the rape charge stating that sentencing death for rape violated the eight Amendment. The eight amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, which means the punishment has to match the crime and can not be excessive in comparison to the crime