donald roper, superintendent of the pitosi, petitioner, versus christopher simmons, respond. >> legislators can violate this series of studies and then pick an arbitrary age. that particular day, 18, they talk about adolescents, old and young, continuing until the mid-20s. nothing justifies the age 18. that makes it the kind a legislator ought to be evaluating, not a court. >> everyone agrees there is some age below. >> the question is where are insufficient evidence to justify at 18. but since stamford has evolved, and new scientific and these developments changed the calculus for much the same reasons the court found compelling in atkins. >> roper v. simmons saturday at 6:00 eastern on c-span radio. >> wcsp-fm across the country. we're on xm channel 119. and "washington today" continues. >> it's an honor to welcome the vice president along with the organization. i told him his visit to iowa tomorrow will ensure him more delegates i got than the last time i was there. >> the comments of vice president joe biden at the state department earlier in the day as he welcomed his counterpart from

donald roper, superintendent of the patosie correctional superintendent, versus christopher simmons. >> legislatures can evaluate the series of studies and then kick what is essentially an arbitrary age. there is no study in anything mr. simmons cites that justifies that particular date, 18. they talk about adolescence, young adolescence, old adolescence, adolescence continuing until the mid-20s. nothing justifies the age of 18. that makes it the kind of fact that a legislature ought to be evaluating, not a court. >> everyone agrees that there is some age below which juveniles can't be subject to the death penalty. the question here is where are society's evolving standards of decency now drawing that line? 15 years ago this court found unsufficient evidence to justify a bright line at 18. but since stanford a consensus has evolved and new scientific evidence has emerged and these developments changed the constitution aal calculus for mh the same reasons the court found compelling. >> saturday at 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span raid. >> around the country, we're on xm satellite radio cha

donald roper, superintendent of the correctional center petitioner versus christopher simmons respondent. >> legislatures can evaluate this series of studies and then pick what is essentially an arbitrary age. there is no study in anything that mr. simon cites that justifies that particular dale, 18. they talk about adolescence, they talk about young adolesc t adolescents. they talk about adolescence continuing till the mid 20s. nothing justifies the age of 18. that makes it the kind of fact that a legislature ought to be evaluating, not a court. >> everyone agrees that there is some age below which juveniles cannot be subjected to the death penalties. the quell is where do society's standards of decency now draw that line. 15 years ago this court found instisht evidence to justify a bright line at 18. since stanford, a consensus has evolved and new scientific evidence has emerged and these developments change the constitutional calculus for much the same reasons the court found compelling in atkins. >> roper v simmons, saturday at 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span radio. >> around the country