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News Tip: Supreme Court May Still Ban Juvenile Executions

A Duke law professor still believes the U.S. Supreme Court will ban the execution of juveniles convicted of capital crimes.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal earlier this week to consider abolishing the execution of juvenile killers does not mean the high court won't eventually ban the practice, says a Duke University law professor.

James E. Coleman Jr., who also chairs the American Bar Association's Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project, noted that last term the high court banned the death penalty for mentally retarded people. He said the fact that four of the nine justices this week forcefully called for an end to juvenile executions "likely will hasten the day when that happens."

"Just as in the case of the death penalty for offenders with mental retardation, the clear trend is toward public rejection of the death penalty for juveniles under the age of 18 who commit capital crimes," said Coleman, who teaches a class on death penalty issues at Duke Law School. "The United States is one of only a handful of countries in the world who execute juveniles. The American Bar Association, which otherwise has no position on the constitutionality of the death penalty, opposes capital punishment for juveniles, a position the ABA has taken since 1983. The fact that we continue to execute juveniles was one of the principal factors underlying the ABA's 1997 call for a moratorium on executions."

Coleman can be reached for additional comment at (919) 613-7057.

Note to broadcast editors: Duke provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. We are also equipped with ISDN connectivity for radio interviews. Broadcast reporters should contact the Office of Radio-TV Services at (919) 681-8067 to arrange an interview with Professor Coleman.