Amendment VIII addresses the prohibitions against which of the following?

The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution specifically addresses the prohibition of excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. This means that it limits the government's ability to impose overly harsh penalties on individuals who are accused or convicted of crimes.

In this context, the focus on excessive punishments is significant because it ensures that the severity of the penalties imposed corresponds fairly to the gravity of the offense. The notion of "cruel and unusual punishments" has been the basis for several landmark Supreme Court decisions, which have interpreted the Eighth Amendment to mean that punishments must not be inhumane or disproportionate to the crime being punished.

The other options—excessive evidence, excessive rights, and excessive witnesses—do not relate to the core protections established by the Eighth Amendment, which focuses specifically on the treatment of individuals within the criminal justice system concerning punishment. Thus, the correct answer centers on the prohibitions against excessive punishments.