Name and describe the Supreme Court case on the issue of executing juveniles. Then explain what reasons the justices gave for voting as they did.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons that people who committed their crimes before age 18 cannot be executed. The justices said that most other countries did not allow such criminals to be executed. The justices also said that executing juveniles was becoming increasingly rare and that research in neuroscience indicates that juveniles are incapable of understanding the long-term consequences of their actions.