[Next_Time_NJ]

I agree with them. Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done. I have no problem with them sitting in jail for a long time though. I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

[NeoCaveman]

I agree with them. Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done. I have no problem with them sitting in jail for a long time though. I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

No state kills 15 year old murders. They kill 25 year olds, who murdered when they were 15.

[Tree of Liberty]

What difference does their age make? They still committed a murder and should be subject to the same penalty that would befall any one else who commits the same crime.

[RobFromGa]

Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment

How about an 17 year old gang-banger who taunts the victim with "I can do anything I want to you and they can't kill me" as they perform a torture-murder on one of your family members?

[Little Ray]

I have no problem with executing teenagers. If they do the crime, they can die.
In a lot of cases, its too bad you can't execute the parents, too.

[Truth29]

If you are not in favor of the death penalty for 15 year old "children," you need to study the activities of gangs and gang recruitment. It is common practice in DC for instance, for gangs to use younger members to carry out hits on opponents because they are rarely prosecuted beyond juvenile incarceration until majority. This decision will only expand the use of young contract and gang banger killers. Also, some gangs, like the Salvadoran gangs, use killings as an initiation rite.

[Guillermo]

Show me the 15 yr old executed (Since the dp was reinstated) and I'll eat my computer.

Juveniles are NOT executed in this country.

[Alberta's Child]

I agree with them. Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done.

But that's not a constitutional issue. The U.S. Supreme Court is absolutely wrong on this one.

"It's not a good idea" is not the same thing as "It's unconstitutional."

[TomGuy]

Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done. I have no problem with them sitting in jail for a long time though. I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

A couple of points: While it is fine to sentence a youth to life in prison,

1) some future do-gooder elected officials/justices could easily overturn such sentences, thus freeing many known killers. This even happens now.

2) many states have laws that prohibit a youth from being detained past the 'age of accountability', usually 18. So, no matter how heinous a crime, that youth could go free at age 18, rather than being transferred to an adult prison. Think of having John Malvo freed when he reaches age 18. Oh, I think he already has; so, maybe he should just go free???

[eddie willers]

I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

Why don't you leave it up to circumstances and a jury?

[Heavyrunner]

I can't agree with that. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris deserved to die, but fortunately took matters into their own hands.

I disagree with putting people to death who honestly had no grasp of the gravity of their actions, but that bar is so variable, making age 18 an ironclad litmus test is hardly more fair than taking every instance on a case-by-case basis.

[Bommer]

If your old enough to pre-mediatately kill a person, your old enough to be executed!

[confederate66]

So if a 15 year old rapes and murders your mom, sister, daughter you'd let them sit in jail and get 3 hots and t.v., game room, library use, .....etc for the rest of his life? How weak are you?

[BureaucratusMaximus]

I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

If a child learned how to kill and followed through with the act...I wouldn't consider that person a "child" anymore.

[Publius Scipio]

If you're old enough to committ and be convicted of a capital crime, you are old enough to face the consequences of that crime.

[advance_copy]

I agree with them. Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done. I have no problem with them sitting in jail for a long time though. I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

Fine. Get the law changed in your legislature. The American people have a right to elective representation on decisions like these.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I agree with them. Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done. I have no problem with them sitting in jail for a long time though. I am infavor of the death penality but not for young children.

I'm in favor of 15 year olds not going on rampages and killing innocent people, maybe raping and robbing them in the process. I think that's unjust. But, hey, what do I know?

[k2blader]

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

[GRRRRR]

A 15 year old with a gun who robs a convenience store and just for fun, shoots the man behind the counter, then two people gassing up their cars and laughs...

Death Penalty or Not???

G--sizzle----

[LenS]

Have you looked at fifteen year olds lately? They aren't exactly children. But I'm sure you'll feel better when a fifteen year old kills one of your loved ones knowing that they can't be executed. And it won't stop there -- these Eurojustices will keep on going until all under 18 killers are released at 18 since they're just "children".

This ruling is a disgrace. Frist better move on the judges now.

[jaykay]

Killing a 15 year old child is not my idea of just punishment reguardless of what they have done.

Of course they will be in their mid to late twenties by the time the sentence is carried out. Also, consider that for prosecution to pursue the death penalty on someone under 18 and for the jury to impose it, the crimes had to have been particulary horrific.

Two of the "children" released from death row by this ruling are the murderers and rapists Perez and Villareal who raped and murdered 15 year old Elizabeth Pena and 14 year old Jennifer Ertman in Texas about 12 years ago. They not only raped them but violated them in every orifice before beating them to death. Then they called the girls' parents and asked if they knew where their daughters were. Nice kids that SCOTUS has let off the hook.