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Roper V. Simmons Case Study

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In 2005 the Roper v. Simmons case went down in history as a landmark decision creating the pretext that no persons under the age of 18 can be sentenced to capital punishment. Simmons was sentenced to the death penalty at the missouri supreme court after planning a kidnapping and murder on his neighbor Shirley Crook. Evidence was shown that this was premeditated by witnesses Charlie Benjamin and John tessmer whom of which Simmons confided his plans within. All Appeals of this case wernt heard until 2002 when the missouri supreme court passed simmons's execution due to the ruling of a similar case Atkins vs virginia. In This case atkins was exempt from the death penalty due to his mental state. Atkins was examined and tested of his abilities to think and make rational decisions. The verdict was …show more content…

Sandra Aamodt” From the Neuroscientist's perspective it has been shown that the human brain is not actually fully developed until one reaches 25. In an interview with Dr. Sandra Aamodt, host of WAMU 88.5 Tony Cox questions just exactly what it means for a brain to mature into “adulthood”. Amodt dives into details about the difference in decision making, crime rates, and gender being a factor as well. The connection between brain maturity and crime rates could be crucial when deciding the proper age for being tried as an adult in court. Drastic changes occur in a person's life when one becomes 18. They can vote, join the military, move out, and legally become an adult. Dr. Aamodt has studied to prove that the brain doesn't fully develop for the average human until the age of 25. Studies have also proven that males generally take two years longer when beginning to mature. Simmons was tried as an adult at the age of 17 and sentenced to death because of his premeditated actions. Dr. Aamodt also states that the human brain doesn't fully process decision making until the age of 22, which could explain why simmons didn't fully think out his

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