In the federal and state systems
In the federal and state systems, a trial court is a court of first instance that handles various criminal and civil cases. Courts of appeal are located in the second floor of the courts operandi. The strength and admissibility of claims from the adjacent trial courts are decided by the courts of appeal.
Roper v. Simmons (2005)
In Roper v. Simmons (2005), the Supreme Court of the United States declared that the death penalty should not be applied to offenses committed by those under the age of 18. This judgment caused a paradigm shift in legal thinking in American courts. The court ruled that imposing such a death penalty on juveniles violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. (Williams, 2005). Roper V. Simmons Appeal and Reactions.
Conviction and Death Sentence
In 1993, at the age of 17, Christopher Simmons was convicted for the murder of Shirley Crook and sentenced to a death penalty. Abaft his trial, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling, Atkins v. Virginia, banning the execution of the mentally retarded. According to the Supreme court, the execution of mentally retarded persons encroached the eighth amendment, since most Americans found the chastise atrocious. Simmons filed a solicitation for post-conviction relief in the Missouri court. In 2004, he challenged his death sentence asserting that the paradigm of comportment in America had excogitated to the point that a national accord was reached against the execution of juveniles. Therefore, Simmons death penalty was cruel and in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments (Blanked, 2005).
The Court's Decision
The court abridged the kinship of executing juvenile offenders and constitutionality of the mentally disabled. Using the Atkins v. Virginia case decision, the court dismissed the Stanford v. Kentucky ruling of 1989 which reckoned it tolerable to impose judicial execution; since most Americans did not consider it pernicious at the time. The court exemplified numerous laws which were passed since 1989, to limit the amplitude of death penalties. They alluded shifts in national admonition and disposition regarding death penalties (Oyez, 2004).
Roper v. Simmons Trial Procedure
A trial court is where a case commences. In a trial procedure, most of the evidence presented comes from exhibits and witnesses. However, in the Roper v. Simmons (2005) appeal, there were no witnesses or exhibits instead, the court used information from the trial case and previous appeals (Williams, 2005).
Panel of Judges
According to Blanked (2005), trial procedure has one judge and a jury which takes part in deciding the verdict of a case. The Roper v. Simmons (2005) proceeding did not have a jury to consult on the verdict. The appeal had a panel of nine judges including: William Rehnquist, O'Connor, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Scalia, Breyer, Seth, Thomas, and Souter.
Use of Evidence
While trial courts find facts and evidence to use in a case, the Roper v. Simmons (2005) appeal used evidence that had already been presented in his trial and subsequent laws passed since the ruling. They used the decisions of Atkins v. Virginia which ruled against the execution of mentally disabled people asserting that Americans found the castigation inhumane. (Williams, 2005).
Conclusion
In contrast with the Stanford v. Kentucky (1989) trial, the Roper v. Simmons (2005) appeal displayed the change in opinion and liberalization of the society which adjudged it barbarous and unusual to execute juveniles.
References
.Blanked, J. M. (2005). ROPER V. SIMMONS: Supreme Court Case Provides Great Introduction to Basic Legal Principles. Journal of Legal Studies in Business, 12, 23-37, retrieved on 16 May 2017, from journaloflegalstudiesinbusiness.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/rs_2005_23to37.pdf
Roper v. Simmons. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved on July 13, 2017, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/2004/03-633
Williams, C. F. (2005). Supreme Court Roundup. Social Education, 69(6), 298-304. Retrieved on 13 July 2017 from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=472191eb-f370-4ec3-93c8-998d8635f760%40sessionmgr120&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=18589356&db=trh
