Little 'Furmans' everywhere: State court intervention and the decline of the American death penalty

In 1972, the California Supreme Court in 'People v. Anderson' and the U.S. Supreme Court in 'Furman v. Georgia' abolished the death penalty pursuant to state and federal constitutional law, respectively. Both decisions evoked enormous popular backlash in an era of rising violent crime rates, including the Charles Manson murders in California and an increased threat of airline hijacking nationwide (and worldwide). In California, the 'Anderson' decision was superseded that same year by a ballot initiative that amended the California constitution to ensure the constitutionality of capital punishment. At the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court revisited its 'Furman' decision four years later in 'Gregg v. Georgia', re-authorizing the death penalty nationwide with its validation of new capital statutes that purported to guide the exercise of discretion by capital sentencers.