 This clause was only occasionally applied by the Supreme Court prior to the 1970s, generally in cases dealing with means of execution.In "Furman v. Georgia" (1972), some members of the Court found capital punishment itself in violation of the amendment, arguing that the clause could reflect "evolving standards of decency" as public opinion changed; others found certain practices in capital trials to be unacceptably arbitrary, resulting in a majority decision that effectively halted executions in the United States for several years.Executions resumed following "Gregg v. Georgia" (1976), which found capital punishment to be constitutional if the jury was directed by concrete sentencing guidelines.