Roper v. Simmons

Roper v. Simmons: The Background
The case of Roper v. Simmons took place in 2004. However, the situation that sparked the case began in 1993, when a minor (aged 17) named Christopher Simmons murdered a female victim named Shirley Crook. Simmons planned his murder in detail; he knew what he wanted to do and he did it.

In 1993, Christopher Simmons entered the home of Shirley Crook. Simmons robbed the woman, then tied her up and threw her off a nearby bridge. Simmons was arrested shortly after this brutal crime. Following a short trial, the court found Simmons to be guilty of all charges. The court sentenced Simmons to death. In response to these charges, Christopher Simmons appealed the execution due to his status as a minor.
The case of Roper v. Simmons deals with minor law. Christopher Simmons believed he did not deserve capital punishment because he was below the age of an adult. Minor law defines that individuals below the age of adulthood are not subject to a number of criminal punishments.
The Roper v. Simmons ruling was delivered because of a previous case, Stanford v. Kentucky. In this case, which took place in 1989, the court found that minors can be subject to the death sentence only if the charges warrant execution. The court found that capital punishment sentences for minors between the ages of 16 and 17 did not violate any rights awarded by the 8th Amendment.

Roper v. Simmons: The Case Profile
The Roper v. Simmons trial took place on January 26th of 2004. Christopher Simmons initiated the Supreme Court case because he felt that the initial sentence of death was in violation of his 8th Amendment Rights.
This Amendment to the United States Constitution provides protection against punishments that are considered to be cruel and unusual. Simmons’s belief was that he was below the age of an adult and therefore should not be subject to capital punishments. The Roper v. Simmons was decided on March 1st of 2005. The case of Roper v. Simmons in the United States Supreme Court featured the defendant Christopher Simmons and the plaintiff, Roper, who was the acting prosecutor for the state of Missouri.

Roper v. Simmons: The Verdict
The United States Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons ruled in favor of Simmons. The United States Supreme Court explained that sentencing a minor to death was indeed cruel and unusual punishment. Additionally, the United States Supreme Court overturned the ruling that was established in Sanford v. Kentucky.