Case brief 2. ROPER, SUPERINTENDENT, POTOSI CORRECTIONAL CENTER v. SIMMONS

ROPER, SUPERINTENDENT, POTOSI CORRECTIONAL CENTER v. SIMMONS
 
Supreme Court of the United States
Facts: At the age of 17, Christopher Simmons, the respondent, committed murder in this case. During that time, Simmons was a junior in high school. He was arrested the next day, and while at a police station in Fenton, Missouri, Simmons was read the charges, and he confessed to the murder. Simmon's confession included a videotape of a reenactment to the case. He also agreed that the killing was premeditated and testified of discussing the murder before his friends. Simmons had no prior convictions. Simmons was charged when after around seven months when he had turned 18. No witnesses were called in the guilt phase as the jury did already have a verdict of the murder. In the penalty phase, Simmons was sentenced to murder. This led to an appeal by his attorneys, who argued against his conviction. The attorneys argued to the fact that it is against the constitution of the US to charge and sentence a convict to death when he/she was under the age of 18 when the murder occurred. Simmons petition to pausing of the case, after which he was sentenced to life imprisonment, denying him the eligibility of him being released.  
Legal question
Is it constitutional under the 8th and 14th amendments to the US constitution to sentence a 
criminal to a death penalty holding the ground that the criminal was less than the age of 
18 when the crime was committed. The prim...