The Supreme Court has decided that the death penalty __.
Question 19 ?Answer
a.
is never cruel and unusual punishment
b.
may not be applied to those who were under 18 ?when they committed a crime
c.
is always cruel and unusual punishment
d.
may be applied only to acts of terrorism
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: b. may not be applied to those who were under 18 when they committed a crime
Explanation
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty may not be applied to individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time they committed their crime, making option b the correct answer. This landmark decision came in Roper v. Simmons (2005), where the Court held that executing individuals for crimes committed as juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
In the 5-4 decision, the Court emphasized that juvenile offenders are fundamentally different from adults in terms of maturity, decision-making capacity, and vulnerability to external pressures. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, highlighted that because juveniles are less culpable due to their developmental stage, they should not be subjected to the most severe form of punishment—the death penalty.
The ruling also reflected evolving standards of decency in society. The Court considered both national consensus and international norms, noting that the vast majority of states had already banned the execution of minors and that the United States was one of the few countries still allowing the practice at the time.
This decision built upon earlier rulings such as Atkins v. Virginia (2002), which banned the execution of individuals with intellectual disabilities, and Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988), which prohibited the execution of those under 16. Roper v. Simmons extended that protection to all individuals under 18.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court has made it clear that the death penalty cannot be applied to juvenile offenders because it violates constitutional protections under the Eighth Amendment. The ruling in Roper v. Simmons remains a critical precedent in ensuring that the justice system accounts for the developmental differences between children and adults.
