TimesDispatch.com | Court case on juvenile killers may echo here: "This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to outlaw the execution of someone who killed while age 16 or 17. The court's decision, expected next spring, could end this nation's distinction as one of the last places in the world where juvenile offenders are executed.
Momentum for lifting the minimum age has been building. This year, Wyoming and South Dakota raised the age to 18, although New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson vetoed similar legislation. Now, 19 of the 38 states with the death penalty reserve it for those who kill at age 18 or older.
Polls have found that the public opposes the execution of juvenile offenders, and scientific studies are producing evidence that the brain is not fully mature before age 18 - that juveniles think differently."
