Opinion summary
Etalia.ai summary of the majority opinion
The US Supreme Court case addressed the constitutionality of imposing the death penalty on individuals who were minors at the time they committed their crimes. The petitioner, Heath Wilkins, was sentenced to death for a murder he committed at age 16. He argued that executing someone for a crime committed as a minor violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The Court upheld his sentence by referencing previous rulings which allowed capital punishment under certain circumstances even if offenders were juveniles when committing their crimes.
Dissent summary
Etalia.ai summary of the dissenting opinions
In Wilkins v. Missouri, Justice Brennan, joined by Justices Marshall and Blackmun in dissent, argued against the constitutionality of imposing the death penalty on individuals who were minors at the time of their offense. The dissenting opinion emphasized that executing a person for crimes committed as a juvenile is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency and therefore violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Justice Brennan highlighted that juveniles are less culpable due to their lack of maturity and underdeveloped sense of responsibility compared to adults. He also pointed out international norms rejecting capital punishment for juveniles as further evidence that such executions are unacceptable in modern society. Additionally, he criticized the majority's reliance on state legislative practices rather than an independent assessment based on moral principles inherent in constitutional interpretation.
Opinion written by Justice Scalia
Decided 26 Jun 1989 · Official report