Court was right on juveniles

Detroit Free Press: The United States joined most of the world last Tuesday in finally ending the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes.
By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled, correctly, that executing 16- and 17-year-olds violates the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The decision ended the shameful practice in 19 states and throws out the death sentences of about 70 juveniles.
The United States had been almost alone in permitting the execution of minors.
Tuesday's decision is consistent with earlier Supreme Court rulings that outlawed executions of the mentally retarded, and of those 15 and younger when they committed their crime.
The idea underpinning these rulings is simple: Maturity and mental capacity help determine a legal level of responsibility. Society doesn't extend adult rights to 16- and 17-year-olds because they don't possess the same maturity and judgment. Nor should they suffer the same consequences, especially death.
Evolving community standards might eventually force the high court to reconsider the constitutionality of the death penalty itself. For now, the Supreme Court continued to narrow the scope of the death penalty by making the right decision on the case before it.