Final answer:
The statement about capital punishment involving the deliberate killing of an offender for a serious crime is true. The Supreme Court has nuanced views on this, ruling that it is unconstitutional in cases not involving murder or state crimes, and cannot be applied to those under 18 at the time of the crime.
Step-by-step explanation:
Capital punishment involves the deliberate killing of a supposed or actual offender for an offense, usually for grave crimes such as murder or treason. The Supreme Court's stance on the death penalty has evolved over time. In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), the arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty was found to violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, constituting cruel and unusual punishment. However, this stance was later refined, as seen in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), where the court did not deem capital punishment inherently unconstitutional. Furthermore, according to the ruling in Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008), the death penalty is unconstitutional in cases not involving murder or crimes against the state, such as treason. One specific ruling, option 'd' from the provided choices, states that the death penalty may not be applied to those who were under 18 when they committed the crime.