Roper V. Simmons Essay

503 Words2 Pages

Christopher Simmons was convicted of first degree murder in Missouri.
17 years old at the time of the crime, Simmons was tried as an adult. Simmons confessed to the crime and his sole defence at trial was an attempt to dongrade his punishment through the introduction of character evidence. The jury recommended the death penalty, which was imposed by the judge. In the judgment of the US Supreme Court, the laws of other countries and international authorities were instructive for the interpretation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of ‘cruel and unusual punishment’. International consensus as reflected in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provided respected and significant confirmation of the conclusions drawn. International agreement on the juvenile death penalty …show more content…

This means that under the laws of human rights he has the right to not be sentenced to death, as it states in the eight amendment.

Donald P. Roper v. Simmons case was a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that it is unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed while under the age of 18. The immediate consequence of Roper was that it saved the lives of 72 individuals who were condemned to die for crimes they committed as children. And as a consequence of murder he is now spending a long life time in prison. furthermore a consequence of Simmons actions, his family has to endure the imprisonment of there son or brother and he has to face trials for his freedom, whilst being in

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