CNN: US SUPREME COURT: ALL DEATH PENALTY CASES WITH JUVENILE KILLERS THROWN OUT!

CNN on TV

[Next_Time_NJ]

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states.

The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.

The executions, the court said, were unconstitutionally cruel.

This report will be updated as details become available.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

How the Sam Hell do you arrive at the conclusion I'm an atheist?

Because if you think that life in prison is worse punishment than death, then you either don't believe in Hell (Luke 16:24 ...Father Abraham, have mercy on me... for I am tormented in this flame.) or you think it isn't that big a deal.

If it's a religious issue, more people would be for life.

Oh?

Luke 23
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Romans 1
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

[Chaguito]

Thanks. I get it. Great summary of what you were driving at. Now, I need counsel on whether to slash my wrists or not. By extension, does this mean that "judicial activism" is also a self-existent reality and unstoppable?

[Chaguito]

Sort of like the road to serfdom?

[BigSkyFreeper]

Because if you think that life in prison is worse punishment than death, then you either don't believe in Hell (Luke 16:24 ...Father Abraham, have mercy on me... for I am tormented in this flame.) or you think it isn't that big a deal.

Hell is relative. Satan roams the Earth, Satan does his work through those who would rape, murder, or commit other sins. Satan was cast out of Heaven, but he wasn't cast off the Earth.

[Bear_Slayer]

Yeah, this is big, but honestly I think I have to agree with their decision

Would you elaborate as to why?

[snarkytart]

The Surpreme Court just ruled that you get a pass until your 18th birtday, I happen to think the circumstances rather then an arbitrary date of birth should decide if an individual deserves the death penalty.

THANK YOU! They just took away any common sense in punishment. It should always be a case by case basis decided by the jury . This is a state issue. Why not say anyone under 18 is not allowed to be given life w/o parole! Why couldn't SCOTUS say all life w/o parole violates international sentiment and is torture. Why don't they just decide all sentencing for all crimes for every state using "International treaties" as their guideline!

[Bear_Slayer]

If they are going to kill someone at that age.. nothing from a spanking to the death penality is going to stop them..

If they're going to kill someone at that age, it is ususally because they were never, or hardly ever disciplined at a young age.

When I was younger, I was disciplined. I had a respect for authority.

They are so young they dont grasp what death really is.

That's why we see them jumping out of high trees, licking poison, willfully sticking their fingers in light sockets. 'Death, what's that?"

Death . . .hasn't stopped them, and never will.

Are you sure about that? I mean, do they rise from the grave and kill again?

[dogbyte12]

I have to agree with the decision myself. As was pointed out upthread. You can't drink, smoke, have sex with anybody over 18, engage in contracts, work overtime, join the military, etc.

If we want to lower the age of these things to 16, I say fine, then we can do it. The other aspect is a "jury of one's peers". It was ruled unconstitutional to for example exclude all blacks from a jury for a black defendent, based on their race, but the age peer group of the 16 year old defendent is automatically excluded from being on their jury because it is felt that 16 is too young to be able to weigh evidence maturely on a jury. There is a contradiction here.

I am very tough on crime. I think pedophiles should be shot in the back of the court room 5 minutes after the guilty verdict for example. Yet, I do believe in intellectual consistency. We treat those under 18 very different under the law. We tell them that they are not mature enough to understand many things. I disagree. We have to have an age of adulthood. We picked 18. We need to be consistent with it.

[Dustbunny]

I unerstood what you meant.

[Vicomte13]

"Thanks. I get it. Great summary of what you were driving at. Now, I need counsel on whether to slash my wrists or not. By extension, does this mean that "judicial activism" is also a self-existent reality and unstoppable?"

Judicial activism is a self-existent reality, however it is stoppable.
But not without very high risk.
A battle has to be chosen very, very carefully.
I can spin out a scenario for you.
What you need is an emotional issue, and what amounts to a national campaign strategy to put an extremely emotional issue before the voters, have them approve the measure, and then have the Supreme Court strike it down.
That will leave the People in a mood willing to support a joint Presidential/Congressional move to refuse to enforce the illegal Court Order and demonstrate that in cases where the Court exceeds its power, that the covalent branches of government have the power to void its decision.

Very high stakes stuff.
You can't do it at all without the People being with you.

[Vicomte13]

I don't know.
We're all the way down the road.
The Supreme Court already has full, final authority in the American system.
I don't think we're really serfs.

[Bear_Slayer]

All they see is TV and movies

This can be said of any adult and since the TV was invented, we have had several generations of adults grown up on TV.

Why should these adults be responsible too? All they know is what they see on TV.

[k2blader]

A 15 year old murderer is a "young child" to you?

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Just hire a child under 18 to kill whomever you want knocked off. At least (s)he won't be executed. Or, get you own children to do it.

[Bear_Slayer]

In a murder trial, can't we begin with the assumption that the defendent knows right from wrong, and that the burden is on the defense to prove otherwise?

Really, wouldn't age and circumstance immediately indicated to a PA and judge that the child is no capabable of understanding what they did?

But to set a limit at 18 puts to many mature children out of reach.

[nimbysrule]

You're right-and brilliant. Thanks. I assume you extend this reasoning to the states.

[dogbyte12]

How about we forcibly emancipate them first.

For me this is a legal issue. Not a poor little 17 year old baby issue. If we want to execute them, classify them as adults first through a competency hearing, and then get on with it.

I don't think the Supreme Court addressed this did they? I know that you can be emancipated from your parents at 16. What happens if one of these emancipated 16 year olds commits murder. In that case, I say they are adults.

Part of my hangup to be honest was the whole alcohol thing. I was in the Army, 18 years old, with an infantry batt. and I couldn't get a beer, because I wasn't "mature enough" to do it. If we want to make the age 16, let's just do it. My big objection would be overcome if we did it for jury duty. If 16 year olds could serve jury duty, I think I would be cool with capital cases being brought against 16 year olds. My guess actually is that 16 year olds would be more inclined to fry em.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yeah, exactly. When your neighbor's dog craps on your lawn, get your twelve year old son to use "daddy's shotgun" to off them both.

[oceanview]

one 15 year term for all federal judges, and out. get this monarchy out of our system. end lifetime appointment now.

[Sandy]

We have to have an age of adulthood. We picked 18. We need to be consistent with it.

No, we don't *need* to be consistent. Sure, consistence is a great objective, but it's not a Constitutional requirement.