Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988) addressed capital punishment for juveniles. Under which Amendment is this ruling?

• A. Eighth Amendment
• B. Thirteenth Amendment
• C. Fourth Amendment
• D. Sixth Amendment

Answer: (A)

The ruling rests on the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Thompson v. Oklahoma held that executing someone who was 15 at the time of the crime is unconstitutional under that Amendment because juveniles have diminished culpability and a greater potential for change, making such punishment disproportionate. The other Amendments cited don’t address punishment for crimes, so they don’t fit this ruling—the Fourth covers unreasonable searches and seizures, the Sixth guarantees trial rights, and the Thirteenth bans slavery. This decision fits into the broader line on juvenile capital punishment, which later cases refined further.