<Tr> <Td> 1976 </Td> <Td> Woodson v. North Carolina </Td> <Td> Statutes providing mandatory imposition of the death penalty are unconstitutional . </Td> <Td> 5 - 4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1977 </Td> <Td> Coker v. Georgia </Td> <Td> The death penalty is an unconstitutional punishment for rape of an adult woman when the victim is not killed . </Td> <Td> 6 - 3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1978 </Td> <Td> Lockett v. Ohio </Td> <Td> Sentencing authorities must have the discretion to consider every possible mitigating factor, rather than being limited to a specific list of factors . </Td> <Td> 6 - 2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> Beck v. Alabama </Td> <Td> Jury must be allowed to consider lesser included offense, not just capital offense or acquittal . </Td> <Td> 7 - 2 </Td> </Tr>

Major death penalty cases in the us supreme court