Three black men were sentenced to death for crimes involving rape and murder. Their cases were consolidated in a single case called Furman v. Georgia, in which the United States Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the death penalty. The first defendant, Jackson, a 21-year-old, broke into a home where he found a woman.
Armed with scissors, Jackson ordered the woman to give him money. They fought, and Jackson raped the woman. Furman the second defendant was a 26-year-old man with mental problems. Furman had only a sixth-grade education. Late one night, he tried to get into a family's home.
Furman shot through a closed door and killed one of the people inside. The third defendant, Branch, had a very low IQ and little schooling. One day, he broke into a widow's home while she was sleeping.
Branch raped the woman and tried to rob her. The widow didn't have much, so he left. On the way out, Branch threatened to kill the widow if she told anyone about what he'd done.
All three men were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for their crimes. After losing their state appeals, the three men petitioned for review in the United States Supreme Court.