Learn about the death penalty for juvenile offenders

Overview: Authorities have accused John Lee Malvo, 17, and John Allen Muhammad, 42, of being behind the series of sniper shootings that killed 10 people and wounded four in the Washington D.C. area last October. Prosecutors in Virginia are trying to make the case for John Lee Malvo to be tried as an adult. If Malvo were to be found guilty in an adult court he could face the death penalty.

After students read "Prosecutors hope to try teenager as adult in sniper case" and watch the first segment of CNN Student News (the video can be accessed from CNNStudentNews.com) pose the following questions:

RESOURCES • CNN.com: Sniper victim's husband describes shooting  • CNN.com: Sniper Attacks: The Legal Case  • CNN.com: Malvo likely won't be part of campaign to end juvenile death penalty  • National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

1. Who is John Lee Malvo? How old is Malvo? Of what crime has he been accused? In what state is Malvo being tried? What evidence did William Franklin present against Malvo during his court testimony? Why are prosecutors attempting to make the case for Malvo to face a capital murder trial in adult court? What is "probable cause"? What evidence has prosecutor Robert Horan to establish probable cause in the case against Malvo?

2. Ask students: What does it mean to be "tried as an adult"? What is "capital punishment"? Inform students that in 22 states, including Virginia, juveniles can be sentenced to death. According to The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, 224 death sentences have been imposed on juveniles since 1976, but only 21 have been carried out. Currently, there is legislation for the ban of juvenile executions pending in 11 of the 22 states where the juvenile death penalty is now allowed.

3. Divide your class into two groups to debate whether the death penalty for juvenile offenders should be abolished. Assign each group a position on the issue and have the groups devise their arguments in defense of their own respective positions. After the debate encourage students to identify how the different groups' arguments related to each other. Ask students: which of the arguments did you think were the most important? Then, poll students to find out whether they are for or against abolishing the death penalty for juvenile offenders.