Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972) was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court invalidating as unconstitutional the death penalty laws in Georgia and Texas. The court ruled that the death penalty as implemented was applied capriciously. This decision invalidated death penalty laws in 41 jurisdictions. In Florida alone, this decision voided the planned execution of 102 criminals.
California was unable to execute a single criminal from 1967 to 1992. Other states, using new laws to conform with the Furman v. Georgia decision, eventually began carrying out the death penalty under the new laws. Justices Douglas, Stewart, Brennan, White and Marshall were in the majority with Justices Rehnquist, Blackmun, Powell and Burger in the minority.