Can juveniles be put to death?
The juvenile death penalty was abolished in 2005 by the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roper v. Simmons (125 S.Ct. 1183), which stated that capital punishment for crimes committed by minors (under age 18) violates the Eight Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The majority reasoned that juveniles lack maturity and may be less culpable than adults who commit crimes. Brain science has evolved dramatically in the last few years, and scientists have determined that parts of the brain are still developing into the early to mid-twenties; thus, the brains of people who commit murder at a young age are too immature to justify execution. According to recent research, the adolescent brain is fundamentally different than an adult brain. It is not a matter of knowing right from wrong, but more a question of impulse control and judgment. In three states (Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina), juveniles can be tried as an adult at age 16 and above. In nine states (Georgia, Illino
