E N D
Roper vs Simmons Verdict
Roper vs Simmons • Due to the case Atkins vs. Virginia, where the court held that evolving standards of decency had made the execution of the mentally retarded cruel and unusual punishment and thus unconstitutional, the court ruled that under the “standards of decency test” it is considered cruel and unusual to execute anyone who was under the age of 18 at the time the crime was committed.
Roper vs Simmons • The majority opinion cited sociological and scientific research pointing to the lack of responsibility and maturity that juveniles have in comparison to adults. • Also noted that it is also prohibited for juveniles under the age of 18 to vote, enter into marriage without parental consent, or serve on a jury. • Juveniles are also more likely to submit to outside pressures such as peer pressure. They are not able to have the same type of control over their environment that adults have.