Roper V. Simmons Case Study

Introduction to Roper v. Simmon

In 1993 a minor named Christopher Simmons, had committed planned capital murder of

Shirley crook, This is Roper v. Simmons. Referencing to Atkins v. Virginia that had to do with sentencing a person who is mentally disabled to death is unconstitutional. Which is considered cruel and unusual punishment by the 14th amendment. They filed a state conviction relief, that at the time of the murder he was seventeen in 1993. In 2002 the state of Missouri had agreed to to case’s appealing . Later on the case had gotten appealed to the supreme court had granted a review on the case of Roper v. Simmons and said that sentencing a minor to the death penalty was is unconstitutional and in the fourteenth amendment prohibits

They decided that the sentencing was against the eighth amendment provision of the cruel and unusual punishment, under the “ evolving and understanding “ test. Assisting the Court of Missouri, the

Missouri Psychological Association in the decision . Showing the evidence of the 17 year old's brain not fully being truly developed until adulthood. Which made the court of missouri come up with a less harsh consequence for Christopher Simmons.

The U.S supreme court had agreed to appeal the case and review the case Roper v.

Simmons. The U.S supreme court had stated that the “ Standard of Decency” has been updated and evolved. That means that the execution of a person under the age of eighteen is now considered “ Cruel and Unusual punishment “. Helping the majority decision with the “APA” arguments had contributed to their decision, in other words the “Missouri Physiological

Association”. In March of 2005 delivered by justice Anthony Kennedy, with a 5-4 decision. The justices who favored that the verdict was unconstitutional were Stevens, Kennedy, Souter,

Ginsburg, and Breyer. The justices who receded were Rehnquist, O’connor, Scalia, and justice