The Supreme Court's decision in Missouri v. Hunter (1983) cannot be interpreted to suggest that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The case was a case-specific ruling that addressed the issue of double jeopardy in the context of a state law that provided for increased penalties for crimes committed with a dangerous or deadly weapon. The Court held that the state law did not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, as it did not create a separate offense but rather increased the penalty for the underlying crime. The decision did not address the constitutionality of the death penalty generally. Therefore, it cannot be interpreted to suggest that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment.