Roper v. Sullivan
The Supreme Court Prohibits the Execution of Minors
On March 1, 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution forbid the imposition of the death penalty upon offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. The Eighth Amendment provides: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The provision is applicable to the States through the Fourteenth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment governs the constitutional permissibility of the death penalty for a juvenile offender. In a 5-to-4 opinion authored by Justice Kennedy, the Court affirmed the holding of…
