The justices fairly quickly moved to the more general question, that of whether the rule announced in Apprendi applied only to incarceration and execution or also to financial penalties — whether imposed against individuals or corporations.
Consumers shouldn't have to worry about loan contracts designed to be unintelligible, hidden fees attached to their mortgages, and financial penalties whether through a credit card or debit card that appear without warning on their statements.
But Molly Watkins, a spokeswoman for the board, said, "Because of the recent change in the law requiring all candidates to file disclosure statements with the Campaign Finance Board, candidates are potentially liable for penalties whether they join the program or not".
Activists say that penalty, whether or not Article 548 is struck down, would stand as a powerful warning to other would-be killers in the name of honor.
For all the attention over the planned May 16 execution of Timothy J. McVeigh and debates over whether it should be televised, the public sees nothing of the actual carrying out of the death penalty, whether by electrocution, lethal injection, hanging or the gas chamber.
In deeply conservative Kansas, the high court ruled last week that sex with under-age children should draw the same penalty, whether the contact was gay or straight.Even with a constitutional amendment, Texan manhood might not be safely protected from the liberal judiciary's impositions.
"All Christians and men of good faith are therefore called upon today to fight, not only for the abolition of the death penalty – whether it is legal or illegal and in all its forms – but also to improve the conditions of incarceration to ensure that the human dignity of those deprived of their freedom is respected.
In Estonia, mismatched workers are sure to face a penalty, whether they are overqualified for the job or not; it amounts to 8 and 19% for workers who are matched by qualifications and overqualified, respectively.
Speaking at prime minister's questions, where he was standing in for David Cameron for the first time, the chancellor of the exchequer said the Treasury would launch a consultation next month to look at whether people were being charged excessive early-exit penalties and whether a cap could be imposed.
"You'd have to give some thought to creative and effective penalties thereafter, whether it be that no international federation would award a championship for five years or a sanction against the National Olympic Committee.
"We will have to wait and see whether there is consistency and durability in application of a high standard of conduct, backed by strong investigation and discipline with penalties, or whether this is a one-off, and we go back to leniency and complacency," Ouseley said.
