This is a VERY interesting article on the science of brain development and the application of the death penalty to teenagers. According to this article (and a brief filed with the US Supreme Court), teenage brains are not as well developed or organized as adult brains, which often causes teenagers to act more impulsively and make poor decisions. The brief argues that this physiological difference alone makes teenagers less culpable for their crimes. In fact, some scientists feel the adult brain is not fully developed until age 25 or 26 (and not at the arbitrarily set "adult" age of 18).

Teen Brains on Trial