When a 17-Year-Old Boy Was Sentenced to Death in 2004

question 129

Multiple Choice

When a 17-year-old boy was sentenced to death in 2004 in the United States, the American Psychological Association (APA) filed a brief with the court opposing this punishment. The sentence was revised and changed to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Why did the APA petition the court to prevent the adolescent from being executed?

• A) They argued that because the boy had been physically and sexually abused as a child he should be found not guilty by reason of mental defect or deficit.
• B) They argued that the immature brain development of the youth made him more impulsive, risk-prone, and unable to maturely consider the consequences of his actions.
• C) They argued that because the young man was high on a combination of drugs when he committed the crime that he was not legally responsible for his actions.
• D) They argued that because there is no other country in the world that executes citizens under the age of 18 that the United States would be setting a disastrous international precedent by proceeding with the death penalty.

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