Justices ban life-without-parole sentences for young killers
The
Supreme Court Monday struck down mandatory sentences of life
imprisonment without parole for convicted murderers who were only 14
years old when they committed their crimes.
There are approximately 80 fourteen-year-olds nationwide who are serving such sentences.
The justices ruled that imposition of a life-without-parole sentence on a fourteen-year-old person convicted of homicide violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.
There are approximately 80 fourteen-year-olds nationwide who are serving such sentences.
The justices ruled that imposition of a life-without-parole sentence on a fourteen-year-old person convicted of homicide violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.
Discuss this post Interesting debate
What is your opinion?????
About time. It's just sick to imprison kids as if there's no hope for their future.
There's a reason we don't consider them adults until they're 18.
There's a reason we don't consider them adults until they're 18.
A
14 year old is probably young enough that massive counseling could help
turn them around. Doubt that funding could be set aside for that
though, even though it would be cheaper than life in prison.
Crap
to that. We consider them adults at this age if they get pregnant and
need taxpayer money to raise their child to become a burden on society.
Old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time. Ask any family
member of the victim if they think it was better their loved one died
because a teen "made a mistake".
Murderers? A person or persons are dead by the hands of these murderers...
I just don't get it... What has age got to do with it? The victims will never get any older... Their dead!
I just don't get it... What has age got to do with it? The victims will never get any older... Their dead!
OK
has the SCOTUS found a way to make the victim "undead"? If that is the
case I would agree with this facacta decision. However I can see no
difference between a young murderer and an old murderer. How long will
it be before the SCOTUS hears a age discrimination lawsuit that will
have to allow old murderers out on the street?
This makes no sense whatsoever except that the NRA position is looking better every day. Welcome to the wild wild west everyone!
This freaking society has gone nuts!!!
This makes no sense whatsoever except that the NRA position is looking better every day. Welcome to the wild wild west everyone!
This freaking society has gone nuts!!!
Hope for their future? Are you kidding me? These kids aren't being
punished for smoking a joint or ditching a class. At 14 they are
murdering....they don't have a future anyway. They, not we, chose to
throw their future away. We, the law abiding, tax paying citizens have
the right and responsibility to protect the innocent. And, yet time
and time again victim rights go out the window to the assumed rights of
the guilty.
What hope does the murdered victims of these fourteen years old have?
On second thought, if one of the victims were one of my family members, I might just want the murderer back out on the street with me.
On second thought, if one of the victims were one of my family members, I might just want the murderer back out on the street with me.
Some
people are "defective" and can't be fixed. A kid who has thought
through a murder and possibly is known to have tortured animals or other
kids in the past "for kicks" is beyond repair and needs to be removed
from society. Ok, so no "life without parole" .. we can replace that
with a 90 year sentence then put them on the street at about 70 and see
how they do and they'll be slow enough we can keep tabs on them.
People
have to put this ruling into context. Murder WITHOUT a review IS
unjustifiable against a minor. It doesn't mean they are getting
paroled.
I understand with the F up our system has that one day some murderer is getting back on the street as a possibility. But also as a possibility are all the wrongly convicted killers getting more chance to be looked at. How many innocent, even ADULTS have been freed because of reviews lately? It isn't zero.
And it isn't one. Or two. Or three. And so on. It is a hell of a lot more than that.
Now, it is going to be up to proper enforcement and review. In other words, a parole board actually now has to do its job.
I understand with the F up our system has that one day some murderer is getting back on the street as a possibility. But also as a possibility are all the wrongly convicted killers getting more chance to be looked at. How many innocent, even ADULTS have been freed because of reviews lately? It isn't zero.
And it isn't one. Or two. Or three. And so on. It is a hell of a lot more than that.
Now, it is going to be up to proper enforcement and review. In other words, a parole board actually now has to do its job.
Wow,
just chil out a little. It is not like they will say "Oh well I guess
we will just let the kid go since we can't put him in jail forever".
Now instead of Life without the possibility of parole they will have the
possibility of parole. They are still going to spend many years in
prison and have to get through a parole board in order to be released.
Even if it was a murder it was still an act that was performed before
they were fully mentally developed, if we as a society wont put a 14
year old to death for such a crime for that reason, life without parole
is just as wrong.
You
are a fool - I would bet that if a 14 year old killed your spouse you
would not be so inclined to give them a second chance. Once again the
rights of the criminal have trumped the rights of the victim.
Anyone
that is "for" letting these poor, "teen" murders out let them please
visit your house first when they go on their next killing spree.
So how much time are these 'kids' supposed to serve?
This Supreme Court (and this article) doesn't say sh!t.
This Supreme Court (and this article) doesn't say sh!t.
What about their Victims? Do they get a "Reduced sentence" also? No?
Again, another decision I didn't see coming, but I'm still pleased. We can save at least some of them.
Reliant-If
you were looking over the casket of a loved one because some scumbag
defect of a 13 year old killed them would you still feel the same?
You
deserve to die if you take someone elses life. That is one of the main
reasons that there are so many juvenile offenders because they don't
have any fear of the repercussions. I have never met a 14 year old that
didn't understand that death is final or that killing someone is wrong.
Prison does not rehabilitate people it just makes them stronger more
violent criminals. Get real people.
One
thing people don't understand is that the teenage brain is not fully
developed and incapable of considering consequences. There are several
studies. Its why teenagers engage in stupid and risky behaviours.
Their bodies are pumped full of new hormones and their brains have not
matured enough to have impulse control.
I say this in all honesty as someone who's worked with teenagers who were victims of abuse and troubled teens.
http://teenagebrain.blogspot.com/
I'm not saying these children shouldn't be in jail and some of them should be in the psych ward for the rest of their lives. But, "MANDATORY" life without parole is not the best way to go. It takes out all considerations on the situation and circumstances.
I say this in all honesty as someone who's worked with teenagers who were victims of abuse and troubled teens.
http://teenagebrain.blogspot.com/
I'm not saying these children shouldn't be in jail and some of them should be in the psych ward for the rest of their lives. But, "MANDATORY" life without parole is not the best way to go. It takes out all considerations on the situation and circumstances.
If your old enough to murder, your old enough to pay the price for it....
Tell
me more about this part where they get cruel and unusual punishment!!
They kill someone and because they are not older they get out and are
allowed to do it again. And me next question is what is YOUNG. Under 30
is young, 40 is young if your as old as some of these Justices. Where do
you draw the line on murderers. My brother murdered his ex-wife....he
should have been executed for what he did but, he wasn't because it was
in California. He died in prison of cancer years later....was that
cruel..Not really!! He killed a person that he was mad at. That was
the reason he killed her, he did it and there was no doubt of it at all.
He was my brother but, guess what...he was a murderer and was very
guilty. Why would he be any different than the next murderer.
My biggest problem is that now we are sending this big headline out to all these teen murderers that you can kill and get away with it because your too young to go to prison for it.......open the doors and get ready.....here they come to kill you. They all think they are playing a video game and think it's so much fun ti kill, just like in their games. And if I protect myself is that going to be wrong now too or will they say that I was doing cruel punishment in protecting my family and me.
My biggest problem is that now we are sending this big headline out to all these teen murderers that you can kill and get away with it because your too young to go to prison for it.......open the doors and get ready.....here they come to kill you. They all think they are playing a video game and think it's so much fun ti kill, just like in their games. And if I protect myself is that going to be wrong now too or will they say that I was doing cruel punishment in protecting my family and me.
I
can agree with this ruling in principle. In practice, one wonders how a
"child" raised in prison will ever turn their life around, but I
suppose that it's possible. The sad thing is that we even have a need
as country to make decisions on this kind of thing. Why to we have 14
year olds who kill in cold blood?
Excuse me - what about the victims and their loved ones?
"Rehablitation" is a sad joke. Keep these murderers in prison where they belong.
"Rehablitation" is a sad joke. Keep these murderers in prison where they belong.
BS Are you kidding NO LIFE ? ........... ok ok ok then 65 years not life.
#1.23 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:29 AM EDT
Actually,
I was speaking the the commander of security at a prison, and he said
that if a murder was not because of drugs or a sexual deviation, then if
that killer is later paroled, he is extremely unlikely to reoffend, and
he would actually prefer one of them as a neighbor than some other
neighborhood folks. I have worked with murderers on appeal actions, and
I concur with him. Some probably (most assuredly) cannot be
rehabilitated, but that is what the Parole Board is all about. Make a
30 year minimum, then let them go before a parole board after that.
Allow two parole hearings 10 years apart, if they can't satisfy the
board after the 2nd, they remain in prison for the rest of their life.
Maybe
some of you indignant grownups can organize a lid on Hollywood trash so
these kids realize dead hurts and lasts a long time.
#1.25 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:34 AM EDT
No, they shouldn't be in prison. They should be sent to the gallows as far as I'm concerned.
Cruel and unusual, my foot. What is cruel? It should be judged by the crime they committed. If they killed, execution (much less life in prison) is not cruel, it is appropriate justice. What is unusual? Anything that is not usual. Make execution the usual punishment. Then by definition it will neither be cruel nor unusual.
Judicial activism strikes again.
Cruel and unusual, my foot. What is cruel? It should be judged by the crime they committed. If they killed, execution (much less life in prison) is not cruel, it is appropriate justice. What is unusual? Anything that is not usual. Make execution the usual punishment. Then by definition it will neither be cruel nor unusual.
Judicial activism strikes again.
What about the rights of the victims?? Guess they don't matter to the courts. Surprise, suprise.
Why
is it when an adult woman manages to injure or kill her her rapist she
is considered a folk hero to many people, yet when a severely-abused kid
manages to kill their abuser, they are instead deemed as a predator too
dangerous to release on society and often given maximum adult prison
terms instead? Some of these kids had been badly physically and
sexually abused almost every single day of their lives, and a number of
them had tried without success to report their ongoing victimization to
law enforcement or social services too.
My own feeling is that almost all severely-abused kids who finally can't take any more abuse, and end-up killing their abuser in order to protect themselves from having to suffer any more abuse, deserve another chance at an adult life after several years of therapy, which has to include supportive surroundings that help them to build-up their often destroyed self-esteem.
There is no good reason at all for a severely-abused kid who defends themselves by killing their attacker to be locked-up in an adult prison for any amount of time, where they will subjected to a 500% greater chance of being raped than in a juvenile facility, a 300% greater chance of being beaten or abused by staff than in a juvenile facility, a several hundred percent greater chance of being forced into solitary confinement than in a juvenile facility, and more than a 500% greater chance of committing suicide than in a juvenile facility as well.
I would far rather that we design and operate an intermediate judicial division for serious older teen offenders where rehabilitation, therapy, and release back to society would be to focus of the program, where such younger violators could be incarcerated for periods of time longer than is currently available under our juvenile justice system, or just allow for lengthier incarceration terms for serious juvenile offenders in entirely separate juvenile facilities, where such young people could continue juvenile therapy through their late teens and 20s if necessary to satisfy the need for revenge that some of us so seem to favor.
The US is a signatory on United Nations human rights law regarding the judicial treatment of juveniles and we are also currently the worst world human rights violator of the law that we signed too. Does it surprise you that the US would be the worst country in the world by far in violation of a world human rights law that is nearly universally-respected by all but a very few outlaw nations? How does it make you feel to be a member of a select club of outlaws which ONLY includes Iran, Israel, and Somalia among our planet's over 200 nations? How would you feel if all of the other nations decided to jointly cut us off from raw materials or any other foreign trade because we violate international human rights as badly as we do, since we can not possibly survive on our own remaining raw materials at this point???
What is so difficult about respecting human rights recognized by 99% of the entire rest of the world regarding juvenile justice???
My own feeling is that almost all severely-abused kids who finally can't take any more abuse, and end-up killing their abuser in order to protect themselves from having to suffer any more abuse, deserve another chance at an adult life after several years of therapy, which has to include supportive surroundings that help them to build-up their often destroyed self-esteem.
There is no good reason at all for a severely-abused kid who defends themselves by killing their attacker to be locked-up in an adult prison for any amount of time, where they will subjected to a 500% greater chance of being raped than in a juvenile facility, a 300% greater chance of being beaten or abused by staff than in a juvenile facility, a several hundred percent greater chance of being forced into solitary confinement than in a juvenile facility, and more than a 500% greater chance of committing suicide than in a juvenile facility as well.
I would far rather that we design and operate an intermediate judicial division for serious older teen offenders where rehabilitation, therapy, and release back to society would be to focus of the program, where such younger violators could be incarcerated for periods of time longer than is currently available under our juvenile justice system, or just allow for lengthier incarceration terms for serious juvenile offenders in entirely separate juvenile facilities, where such young people could continue juvenile therapy through their late teens and 20s if necessary to satisfy the need for revenge that some of us so seem to favor.
The US is a signatory on United Nations human rights law regarding the judicial treatment of juveniles and we are also currently the worst world human rights violator of the law that we signed too. Does it surprise you that the US would be the worst country in the world by far in violation of a world human rights law that is nearly universally-respected by all but a very few outlaw nations? How does it make you feel to be a member of a select club of outlaws which ONLY includes Iran, Israel, and Somalia among our planet's over 200 nations? How would you feel if all of the other nations decided to jointly cut us off from raw materials or any other foreign trade because we violate international human rights as badly as we do, since we can not possibly survive on our own remaining raw materials at this point???
What is so difficult about respecting human rights recognized by 99% of the entire rest of the world regarding juvenile justice???
SpyderGirl
"One thing people don't understand is that the teenage brain is not
fully developed and incapable of considering consequences. There are
several studies. Its why teenagers engage in stupid and risky
behaviours. Their bodies are pumped full of new hormones and their
brains have not matured enough to have impulse control."
14 years olds know the consequences of MURDER unless they are mentally retarded. That is one of the most ridiculous statements I have seen on the web.
14 years olds know the consequences of MURDER unless they are mentally retarded. That is one of the most ridiculous statements I have seen on the web.
Because
thinking it far too hard for some people, Old Timer. Part of thinking
would be to read the entire article, but you can see from a fair ton of
the posts, there are plenty of people who haven't done that.
#1.30 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:46 AM EDT
I think whatever judges wrote this piece of trash should take those murdering kids into THEIR homes when they are parolled.
If you're not going to execute murderers, leave them in prison.
#1.31 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:46 AM EDTIf you're not going to execute murderers, leave them in prison.
I
don't for a second believe that any of you calling for the heads of
these kids will ever believe any argument or science that says you are
wrong.
But the facts are in, and they are that people of this age simply have not had time for their brains to fully develop. Yeah, I know, they don't just deserve life without parole, they deserve death, evolution is a hoax, and so is global climate change.
Denial of the scientific process isn't sufficient reason to imprison these kids. No matter what FOX or your bible says, science is still our best option for making informed decisions.
But the facts are in, and they are that people of this age simply have not had time for their brains to fully develop. Yeah, I know, they don't just deserve life without parole, they deserve death, evolution is a hoax, and so is global climate change.
Denial of the scientific process isn't sufficient reason to imprison these kids. No matter what FOX or your bible says, science is still our best option for making informed decisions.
Ohoooooo!!!
Listen to all the stand your grounders whining in their brew. They
think it's kool to have someone kill kids or put them in a pit for
life???? The victim didn't get off easy? People in the Christian faith
and country should realize that death is the ultimate victory????
Hence, the victim is victim no more???? They will not be rehabilitated
in jail, just learn to be hardened criminals. Well, we should not
condemn these kids for that; condemn the penal system. Seems as though
we should sentence them to the pool halls. Never met a person in a
pool hall, young or old, that did not learn a new lesson. LOL!!
#1.33 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:52 AM EDT
What has age got to do with it?A minor cannot enter into a legal contract. Do you think a 3 yr old that shoots someone should be imprisoned for life?
So
how many of those teenagers do you think were sentenced for killing
abusive parents? I guess mitigating circumstances don't matter? If it
was cold blood then feel free to throw away the key, but you can't tell
me that all of them were cold-blooded sociopaths.
#1.35 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:55 AM EDT
I'm
sure all the little teenage gang-bangers are going to love this ruling.
The gangs are probably making up new initiation rules as we speak to
accommodate this wonderful turn of events (for them)!
#1.36 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:56 AM EDTWhy to we have 14 year olds who kill in cold blood?Because they have a gun.
I
don't have a problem with releasing murders back into society. As long
as we release them and house them with the liberals and progressives.
That way if they kill again, the left gets to experience it up close and
personal.
It's always easy to be magnanomous when it doesn't have any effect on you personally. It's easy to be a philanthropist with other peoles money. Let's make it up close and personal for the left and see how 'forgiving' they really are. Let's open halfway houses for these rehabilitated killers financed by a special tax on people like Soros and Hollywood and place them in the Kennedy's, Clinton's, Reid's, and Streisand's neighborhood.
#1.38 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:57 AM EDTIt's always easy to be magnanomous when it doesn't have any effect on you personally. It's easy to be a philanthropist with other peoles money. Let's make it up close and personal for the left and see how 'forgiving' they really are. Let's open halfway houses for these rehabilitated killers financed by a special tax on people like Soros and Hollywood and place them in the Kennedy's, Clinton's, Reid's, and Streisand's neighborhood.
If
the murder crime warrants life without parole, I don't care how young
you are! If they've taken a life, they don't deserve a life. A
conviction of murder with the sentence of life without parole has to be
pretty horrendous.
I don't want to waste one nickel trying to "save" them. A lot of 14 year olds are far from being "children". If it is proven that the person intended and knew exactly what they were doing, then so be it!
#1.39 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:57 AM EDTI don't want to waste one nickel trying to "save" them. A lot of 14 year olds are far from being "children". If it is proven that the person intended and knew exactly what they were doing, then so be it!
Looks like it's a pretty bad day for the right wing in terms of Supreme Court decisions! First Arizona; now this.
#1.40 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:03 PM EDT
Hopeful
American, you're a typical right winger. Won't spend a nickle to save
them but will spend millions to hang them. Then will bitch that we pay
teachers to much.
#1.41 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:03 PM EDT
At
14 years of age, they know right from wrong. If they are old enough to
do the crime, they should serve the time or better yet they should get
death. These animals need taken off the streets permanently or be put in
the ground. Their victims have no recourse, they are dead because of
these animals. Look at any major city, Chicago, Detroit or Baltimore,
youth are killing, robbing and terrorizing law-abiding citizens and are
being slapped on the hand and put back in the streets. If you can't
lock them up for life, they will have a shorter life on the street. If
Police and the courts will not protect citizens from these animals, it's
time for citizens to put the animals under the ground.
#1.42 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:03 PM EDT
This
is a double-edged sword here because on the one hand there's the rights
of the victim and the rights of the courts to decide on an appropriate
punishment that fits the crime and then on the other hand there's the
issue of fiscal responsibility and having tax payers be responsible for
paying to feed, house, educate and care for this young person for their
entire life. As a nation, we spend so much more on incarceration than we
do on education. Add the fact that our kids are dumber than the rest of
the world to a nationwide decline in effective parenting and now the
whole country is having to pay (literally) for kids who don't know how
to verbally resolve their feelings and were never taught how to control
themselves.
#1.43 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:05 PM EDT
Is it cruel and unusual punishment for the person who is dead?
#2 - Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:20 AM EDT
Did
you ever do something you regretted as a child? I know it's a matter
of scale. I didn't say they shouldn't go to prison at all.
I don't think you take our children, damaged or not, and just throw away their lives without any hope.
It's like being Pro-Life and Pro-Death penalty at the same time.
I don't think you take our children, damaged or not, and just throw away their lives without any hope.
It's like being Pro-Life and Pro-Death penalty at the same time.
Skup, either you have no idea about brain development or you have no brain!
We are not China! If you want to ignore all knowledge of psychology, maybe you would like to move to a 3rd world country? Or is it "revenge" instead of justice?
We are not China! If you want to ignore all knowledge of psychology, maybe you would like to move to a 3rd world country? Or is it "revenge" instead of justice?
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