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Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty for Juveniles

The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the death penalty for juveniles. The court's decision, on a 5-to-4 vote, forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes. The ruling means that more than 70 death-row inmates will not be executed in different states.

Copyright 2005 NPR

Nina Totenberg is NPR's award-winning legal affairs correspondent. Her reports air regularly on NPR's critically acclaimed newsmagazines All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition.