Thompson v. Oklahoma

In Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988) 487 U.S. 815, the Supreme Court invalidated capital punishment for juveniles younger than age 16 sentenced under statutory schemes specifying "no minimum age at which the commission of a capital crime can lead to the offender's execution." (Id. at pp. 857-858 (conc. opn. of O'Connor, J.).) Section 209, subdivision (a), specifies no minimum age for imposition of an LWOP sentence. Noteworthy here, the plurality in Thompson, relying on earlier Supreme Court precedent, observed: "'"Adolescents, particularly in the early and middle teen years, are more vulnerable, more impulsive, and less self-disciplined than adults. Crimes committed by youths may be just as harmful to victims as those committed by older persons, but they deserve less punishment because adolescents may have less capacity to control their conduct and to think in long-range terms than adults. ..."'" (Thompson, at p. 834.) Additionally: "'Our history is replete with laws and judicial recognition that minors, especially in their earlier years, generally are less mature and responsible than adults. Particularly "during the formative years of childhood and adolescence, minors often lack the experience, perspective, and judgment" expected of adults." (Ibid.)