Roper V. Simmons Case Study

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In 2005, Roper vs. Simmons was a court case that had overturned the precedent of death penalty for minors. The case was about a 17-year-old who, with two apprentices, robbed a house and murdered a woman by “tying her to a chair with duct tape and electrical cord and throwing her off a bridge” (Casebriefs). Although Simmons had committed murder at 17, he was charged and convicted nine months later when he turned 18. He was “tried as an adult” for death penalty although he had committed murder when he was 17 (Legal Information Institute). However, Simmons was a minor when he committed the crime and he was also “mentally retarded”. Not to mention, he was given “ineffective assistance of counsel” in the state trial and appeals court (Legal Information …show more content…
Simmons was also drinking alcohol at the time and used drugs. However, these postconvictions should have been proposed in the sentence trial prior to the one proceeding (Legal Information Institute). In an appeal from Simmons’ conviction and sentence, and from the “denial of postconviction relief”, the Missouri Supreme Court declared (Legal Information Institute). Christopher Simmons was a “mentally challenged” juvenile who also had been denied post conviction relief. Under these circumstances, the Supreme Court had also ruled it as of violating the eighth amendment. The eighth amendment clearly states that, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (Constitutional Amendments). Under the interpretation of this particular case, having Simmons given the death penalty would have violated the amendment under “nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” due to him being mentally retarded. After being notified of Simmons’ proceedings, the Supreme Court had ruled as of prohibition of death penalty for the juvenile’s “mental retardation” and due to having it violate the eighth amendment as

Roper V. Simmons Case Study

Roper v. Simmons (2005) is a Supreme Court case that examines the use of capital punishment against juvenile offenders. At the age of seventeen, Christopher Simmons was given the death penalty for the murder of Shirley Crook in the first degree in 1997. Simmons then appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court in which the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed State v. Simmons in 1997. A writ of habeas corpus was also denied by the federal courts in 2001, determining his arrest and imprisonment legal. A writ…

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Roper V. Simmons Essay

1993 Christopher Simmons, a 17 year old junior in high school committed the murder of Shirley Crook. Simmons had constructed a thorough plan to rob the Crook’s house with two of his friends from school, Charles Benjamin and John Tessmer. Charles Benjamin being fifteen and John Tessmer being sixteen. Simmons targeted the Crook’s house because of a car accident that involved him and Mrs. Crook. Having told peers and friends that he wanted to murder someone before the incident, Simmons was the one that…

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The article that was posted on Justia showed that there was a case in Missouri where 17-year-old Christopher Simmons was charged with 1st degree murder, burglary, kidnapping and stealing. He broke inside Shirley Crooks home with the intent to steal. Simmons realized he recognized Shirley from a car accident he had with her previously, and that was when he decided to kill her. Simmons and a friend tied Shirley’s legs and arms, duck taped her face, and threw her over a bridge to drown. It was noted…

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