Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Progress
"Supreme Court Bars Death Penalty for Juvenile Killers"
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states.
The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.
The executions, the court said, were unconstitutionally cruel.
It was the second major defeat at the high court in three years for supporters of the death penalty. Justices in 2002 banned the execution of the mentally retarded, also citing the Constitution's Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishments.
The court had already outlawed executions for those who were 15 and younger when they committed their crimes.
Tuesday's ruling prevents states from making 16- and 17-year-olds eligible for execution.
I can think of a few who would not have supported this move. While I don't think the government should be able to put to death anyone at all, I certainly don't believe they should be able to put to death someone who wasn't old enough to vote on the issue when they committed the crime.
