Excerpt of the majority opinion, Harmelin v. Michigan.
1. Finally, the Eighth Amendment does not require strict proportionality between crime and sentence, but rather forbids only extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to the crime.
2. In light of the foregoing principles, Harmelin’s sentence does not violate the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause. Although a sentence of life imprisonment without parole is the second most severe penalty permitted by law, it is not grossly disproportionate to Harmelin’s crime of possessing more than 650 grams of cocaine.