On this day, March 1, in 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional the execution of convicted murderers who were juveniles when they committed the crime, marking a change in “national standards.”
Christopher Simmons received a death sentence for abducting Shirley Crook, 46, from her home in 1993, wrapping her head in duct tape, hog-tying her, and throwing her off of a bridge to drown.
Recommended Stories
Simmons was 17 at the time.
In a 5-4 ruling, the high court decided that society’s standards had evolved and that it was cruel and unusual punishment to execute someone who was under 18 when they committed the capital offense.
The court found that juveniles lacked the maturity and judgment of adults, and also lacked the freedom to escape settings that produce crime or criminality.
