What is the 8th amendment?
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Why is it important?
The 8th amendment guarantees that you will not have a million dollar bail on shoplifting. That you will not be fined 9,000,000 for j-walking and you will be murdered for littering. The 8th amendment guarantees that we won't be burned at the stake or left in the desert for days to die. I for one am happy for that!