Thompson v. Oklahoma

Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988) was a Supreme Court case that addressed whether executing someone who was 15 years old at the time of their crime violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The Court ruled that executing a person for a crime committed before they turned 16 is unconstitutional, emphasizing that juveniles have a lesser capacity for intent and moral responsibility. This decision recognized age as a significant factor in assessing punishment severity, setting a precedent that minors under 16 cannot be sentenced to death.