Final answer:
The primary safeguards in Gregg v. Georgia address the constitutionality of the death penalty, ensuring due process, the right to a grand jury indictment, protection from self-incrimination, and the rights to counsel, a speedy trial, and to confront witnesses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary safeguards given in the landmark case Gregg v. Georgia focused on the constitutionality of the death penalty statute. This case, together with a series of others, established important guidelines after the Supreme Court ended a moratorium on executions that had begun with Furman v. Georgia. The protections detailed within the Gregg decision and subsequent cases highlight a number of constitutional guarantees which include the due process before the deprivation of "life, liberty, or property," as mandated by the Fifth Amendment. For capital crimes, the right to indictment by a grand jury is emphasized, as well as the protection against self-incrimination. The Sixth Amendment further guarantees the rights of the accused to counsel and a speedy trial by an impartial jury, the right to be informed of charges, and the ability to confront witnesses. These are essential aspects of the rights of the accused in the American legal system. Additionally, the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause operates as a critical tool for examining state regulations, ensuring that no state may deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, a central element to all civil rights cases. Overall, the Gregg case reaffirmed the idea that capital punishment laws must narrowly and carefully define who is eligible for the death penalty, to ensure fair application of the ultimate sentence in the justice system.