In other SCOTUS news…

Though when and how the Supreme Court returns to Blakely is to be determined, the Supreme Court already has another important sentencing case on its agenda for the fall. In Roper v. Simmons, the court will re-examine the constitutionality of the death penalty for offenders who were juveniles when they committed their crimes. The case started making headlines last week when numerous austere groups and individuals files amicus briefs urging the Court to declare unconstitutional the execution of persons for crimes they committed before turning 18. (This post from the SCOTUSBlog collects newspaper articles discussing the amicus filings.)

The Roper decision, practically speaking, will impact only a few dozen cases across the country, but its symbolic importance cannot be overstated. As one of the amicus briefs explains, the “United States position on the juvenile death penalty isolates us diplomatically from our close allies and has been condemned by the international community.” The Death Penalty Information Center has a large collection of materials concerning the Roper case available here, and the American Bar Association’s Juvenile Justice Center has compiled copies of the amicus briefs here.