PhotoCarlos Flores was 17 when he and three accomplices tried to rob a bar in Queens, N.Y., in 1981. Mr. Flores was convicted of second-degree murder, a conviction that carried a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. This means that they are less guilty than adults and that their punishment must be different, especially in the case of life sentences for those convicted of murder. The “imposition of a state’s most severe penalties on juvenile offenders cannot proceed as though they were not children,” the court said in 2012. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services.

Source: New York Times March 24, 2018 18:22 UTC