The Eighth Amendment: Bails, Fines, and Punishments

The Eighth Amendment was added to limit the amount of bail set by a judge, or the fines a person must pay for breaking certain laws. Bail is a sum of money that an accused person must deposit for the privilege of staying out of jail while waiting for the case to come to trial. The judge decides on the amount of bail, usually according to the seriousness of the crime and the reputation of the accused. The reason for bail is to be sure that the person will appear for his or her trial.

This money is returned to the person when the trial begins. This amendment also states that punishments such as torture are not allowed.