State v. Heinemann

The principal issue in this appeal was whether the trial court improperly failed to instruct the criminal court jury to consider the age of the defendant (Heinemann)—specifically, the level of maturity, sense of responsibility, vulnerability, and personality traits of a 16-year-old—when deciding his defense of duress.

Juvenile Law Center’s amicus brief argued that because it is more difficult for adolescents to resist pressures due to their limited decision-making capacity and their susceptibility to outside influences, the trial court should have provided an instruction that would have allowed the jury to factor Heinemann’s age into the defense.

The Supreme Court of Connecticut disagreed and affirmed the conviction, concluding that the trial court's instructions were proper.