ipl-logo

Roper Vs Simmons Case Study

496 Words2 Pages

Case: Roper v. Simmons (2005)
Rule of the Case: The decision in which the Supreme Court held that it is unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed under the age of 18.
Facts: In Missouri, Christopher Simmons, age 17, made a plan to murder someone and bring along two of his friends, and one friend ended up dropping out. The plan was to break in and enter, tie up the victim, and toss the victim off a bridge. The case was brought to trial with exceeding evidence. Simmons confessed to the murder, videotaped reenactment of the crime, and testimony from Tessmer, the friend who backed out, that premeditation was involved. The jury decided a guilty verdict and the death sentence, which the trial court imposed. The case worked its way up the courts withholding the death sentence. They sentenced Simmons to life of imprisonment without parole. The state of Missouri appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.
Issue: Is it considered unconstitutional for capital punishment to be inflicted on someone when the crime was committed while they were a juvenile?
Supreme Court Decision: A 5-4 decision that says it is considered unconstitutional for capital punishment to be sentenced on a juvenile. …show more content…

Justice Kennedy cited scientific research that basically found juveniles to be immature with not much sense of responsibility compared to an adult. They are found to have the most reckless behavior. Since they have already made laws and rules regarding maturity and responsibility, people under 18 aren’t able to vote, serve on juries, or marry without parental consent. Adolescences are also more vulnerable to peer pressure or any other negative

Show More
Related
462 Words | 2 Pages

The punishment is just. Rights belive to be violated 8th amendment 14th amendment Rules: “567 U.S. ___ (2012), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders.[2][3] The ruling extended beyond the Graham v. Florida (2010) case, which had ruled juvenile life without parole sentences unconstitutional for crimes excluding murder”. Analysis: Both sides are in disagreement over whether or not the sentence violates the defendant 8th amendment.

Read More
1262 Words | 6 Pages

Impact: That juveniles 18 and under couldn’t be charged with the death penalty because it was viewed as cruel and unusual. Especially since, juveniles were less developed than adults and were more prone to peer pressure. Case: Thompson v. Oklahoma

Read More
1385 Words | 6 Pages

While Simmons was starting to serve his time, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional to give the death penalty to the mentally challenged in 2003. Due to this new law Simmons case was reviewed once again. They had come to the conclusion that due to a national consensus, many are against the death penalty of juvenile offenders. They then sentenced Simmons to life in prison without the chance of parole. The State of Missouri appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Read More
346 Words | 2 Pages

Fact: Joseph and Susie Hurtado was a married couple from Sacramento California. The couple became friends with a local immigrant from Chile named Antonio Estuardo. Over the course of their friendship Joseph discovered that his wife and Estuardo was having an affair. Once the defendant found out about the affair he confronted Estuardo at a bar and was arrested for battery. However, while Hurtado was awaiting trial he shot and killed Estuardo; the defendant was charged with murder.

Read More
733 Words | 3 Pages

The case that i choose was Roper V Simmons. Roper V Simmons is about a minor Christopher Simmons and how he was charged with burglary, kidnapping, stealing and murder in the first degree. Before he had committed the crime he meet up with his 2 other friends that were younger than he was, John Tessmer and Charles Benjamin. Christopher and Charles went through with the plan but John did not, he was there for the “plot” of the pan but not actually present when they committed the crime. The crime that Simmons and Benjamin committed were breaking and entering the Crook residence, they broke in from the back door and when they turned the light on to steal they woke up Mrs. Shirley Crook they tied her up and threw her over the bridge where she was

Read More
531 Words | 3 Pages

Kaylee Woolery Mr. O’Rourke Political Issues Tuesday, April 18th Supreme Court Opinion In 1989 the case of Roper vs. Simmons, the US Supreme Court opposed the death sentence and decided against the death penalty for anyone younger than 18. They argued that his 8th amendment rights were being infringed resulting in cruel and unusual punishment for the execution of a minor. Christopher Simmons, a 17-year-old, was arrested and put on trial for the first-degree murder of Shirley Crook. Due to the fact that it was first-degree murder, he was sentenced to death.

Read More
914 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine being the “chosen one” on a kill list made by your friends. One of the many teen cases in juvenile justice was the disgraceful murder of a 16 year old student, Cassie Stoddart, murdered by her two friends, Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper on September 22, 2006. Both Torey and Brian were found guilty of First Degree Murder, charged as adults, and given life in prison with no possibility of parole plus 30 years for committing. I believe their punishment is deemed fair and right. Background on victim Cassie Stoddart was a bright, young, responsible, and popular student; She was always told she had the perfect life, perfect grades, and was always praised by many in her community.

Read More
1284 Words | 6 Pages

Christopher Simmons killed this innocent woman and more punishment should have been given than what was. Simmons will sit in prison thinking that he got away with it. This does not set a good example for the younger generation, that if you want to murder someone then you can and you don't receive the death penalty, but jail for life. The death penalty was legal for minors in the State of Missouri, the death penalty was a fair punishment for Christopher Simmons and would have been the wisest punishment to give. No mercy should have been given to Simmons on this action.

Read More
872 Words | 4 Pages

In Roper v. Simmons there are two issues that must be addressed, the first being the issue of moral maturity and culpability. The defense in the trial phase of this case argued that Mr. Simmons was an at an age where he was not responsible enough to fully understand the effects and consequences of his actions. The majority draws on Atkins v. Virginia to argue that this specific precedent supports their case that the death penalty should not be imposed on the mentally immature or impaired. However, an important point to be made is that the Atkins v. Virginia decision is geared towards the clinical definition of mental retardation: significant limitations that limit adaptive skills. Also, another important question to consider is the competency and premeditation of Mr. Simmons’ crime in this case.

Read More
509 Words | 3 Pages

It baffles my mind how cruel people can be, especially a juvenile; Simmons already had a plan in mind of how he wanted the crime to take place and I find this to be very sickening. Not only did he and the other juvenile murder someone, but they also committed a serious crime of burglary (www.law.cornell.edu).

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

There have been numerous influential laws and Supreme Court decisions during the 2000s. One such landmark decision is the Supreme Court case Roper v. Simmons, which dealt with the issue of the capital punishment of juveniles. Roper v. Simmons is an intricate case with multiple aspects regarding the details of the case, the context of its passage, and the implications of the case. Roper v. Simmons became a Supreme Court case due to the eminent execution of Christopher Simmons who murdered Shirley Crook when he was just seventeen years old. Along with a friend, he aggressively killed Crook, and one week later confessed to the homicide (“The Debate” 104).

Read More
863 Words | 4 Pages

The case made it a law that juveniles had the rights guaranteed to them by the fourteenth

Read More
1528 Words | 7 Pages

Crimes are happening around us whether we pay attention to them or not. Those crimes as dangerous as murder are committed by all ages but should younger criminal in their juvenile age received the same punishment as older criminals. On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison because it violates the Eighth Amendment.(On-Demand Writing Assignment Juvenile Justice) Advocates on the concurring side believes that mandatory life in prison is wrong and should be abolish. However, the dissenting side believe that keeping the there should be a life in prison punishment for juvenile who commit heinous crime regardless of their age.

Read More
650 Words | 3 Pages

What if your loved one was savagely killed by a teenager with no remorse? Juveniles should be convicted as adults for ferocious crimes because even though they are “kids” they kill innocent people and should get punished for the crime they committed. Teenagers commit gruesome crimes like murder and knowing what they are makes the situation far worse. In the article “Kids are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes” the author Jennifer Jenkins talks about the teenagers that committed gory murders against innocent people that didn’t deserve to die like a road animal. For example, a 13 year old shot to death an english teacher.

Read More
582 Words | 3 Pages

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that it is immoral to give juveniles life sentences, even if they commit a crime as serious as murder, because it is a cruel and unusual punishment. This has been an issue in America as teenagers are often treated as adults in court due to a belief that their crimes warrant a harsh punishment. Many believe that these kids should not be given such major sentences because they are still immature and do not have the self control that adults do. I agree that juveniles do not deserve life sentences because they put less thought and planning into these crimes and they often are less malicious than adults. The article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” explains that the teenagers lose brain tissue that is responsible for self control and impulses (Thompson 7).

Read More

More about Roper Vs Simmons Case Study

Related Topics

Open Document