I love the Supreme Court

It's a beautiful Day...Don't let it get away...It's a beautiful daaaay hay he yah haaaay! Don't let it get away!

Wow that is a good song...

But that's not important. The following news is:

Today, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling. It was a very important ruling. Basically, the ruling ended one of the crulest practices still alive in America today.

No, not forcing people to listen to Metallica.

Today, the court ruled, in a five-four decision, that capital punishemnt for minors is illegal under the 8th amendment. In 1989, the court had ruled that it was illegal to execute offenders under 15. Later, it ruled that mentally retarded defendants could not be given the death penalty.

Before the ruling, 19 states still allowed capital punishment for minors, but only three had executed a minor in the last ten years. This ruling will take 72 16 and 17 year olds off of death row.

The majority included Justices Anthony Kennedy, John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Stephen Breyer. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote an angry dissent, and was joined by Chief Justice William Renquist and Clarence Thomas. Sandra Day O'Connor wrote her own dissent.

Thank goodness this practice is finally over in America. Thank goodness we have left the ranks of China, Iran, and Pakistan in terms of human rights. Maybe, just maybe, Europeans will no longer look at us and shake their heads in shame.

Thank goodness for the court.

JB

Quote of the day:
''It is proper that we acknowledge the overwhelming weight of international opinion against the juvenile death penalty, resting in large part on the understanding that the instability and emotional imbalance of young people may often be a factor in the crime''
-- Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majoritt opinion.