Scoop Link: U.S. Court Abolishes Juvenile Death Penalty
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday abolished the death penalty for juveniles, an important victory for
opponents of capital punishment in the only country that gave official sanction to such executions.
In a 5-4 ruling that cited the "overwhelming weight of international opinion," the high court declared unconstitutional
the death penalty for those under the age of 18 when they committed their crimes.
The decision in the case of a 1993 Missouri killing could affect more than 70 death-row inmates who face execution for
murders done when they were 16 or 17 years old. The total U.S. death-row population is nearly 3,500.