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Article: Supreme Court to consider ending execution of teens.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- January 26, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jan Crawford Greenburg
WASHINGTON _ Just two years after banning the death penalty for mentally retarded killers, the Supreme Court announced Monday it will decide whether the execution of juveniles who commit murder also violates the Constitution.
The controversial issue already has deeply divided the court, which in 1989 upheld executions of those who were 16 and 17 years old at the time of their offenses. It refused to rethink that position in 2002, even though four justices called for "an end to this shameful practice" and said such executions were a "relic of the past."
The decision to take up the case, involving a Missouri inmate ...