Death Penalty for Juveniles Convicted of Murder Held to Be Unconstitutional Because a National Consensus Opposes Its Use and Juvenile Offenders Are Less Culpable Than Adults

Roper v. Simmons, 125 S. Ct. 1183 (2005)

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that it is unconstitutional to impose the death penalty on convicted murderers who were younger than 18 at the time of the crime. The Court concluded that such executions violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments."...

Found in DMHL Volume 24 Issue 2