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Juvenile Death Penalty

Brief History

Until the late nineteenth-century juveniles were tried as adults in the adult court systems, and served their sentences with adults in their institutions. Due to nineteenth-century reformers that spent their time lobbying to separate juvenile offenders from adult criminals, juveniles are now tried separately. Since 1899 juvenile courts have been created along with correctional systems. This was done so that the courts could act in the best interest of the juvenile, who could not care for themselves. The juvenile correctional system was essentially set up to treat the juveniles rather then punish. The youths would receive treatment, education, and counseling. In 1960 the US Supreme Court revamped the juvenile system so that the youth’s due process would not be violated. Juvenile offenders are now appointed attorneys and other lethal safeguards that are granted to adult offenders and now receive all Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights that adult offenders do. The juvenile system is now very similar to the adult one.
The 2005, US Supreme Court case Roper v Simmons is a famous case that changed the minimum age requirement for the death penalty of youthful offenders. At the age of 17, Christopher Simmons planned and executed a horrendous crime. (Cornell Law School) Simmons single-handedly developed a plan from the beginning to murder Shirley Crook, and then implicated two of his younger friends into the plot with him. The plan was to break in to Mrs. Crooks house, tie her up while they burglarized her house, and then to throw her off a bridge. Simmons and John Tessmer did exactly that, throwing Mrs. Crook off a bridge at a state park, sending her to her death. This was not only a murder, but a carefully thought out and planned to perfection one. After the murder Simmons was caught bragging about what he had done and how he had gotten away with it. The case went to trial and Simmons confessed to the murder, and was found guilty. The jury recommended the...