Phillips v. Ohio

Ronald Phillips was sentenced to death for a rape and murder committed when he was a teenager. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP filed an amicus brief on behalf of Juvenile Law Center, Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, and Vincent Schiraldi in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Mr. Phillips’ Petition for Writ of Certiorari.

Our brief argued that current scientific research and a clear national consensus confirms that the characteristics of youth underpinning the Court’s ban of the juvenile death penalty in Roper (for youth under the age of 18) are in fact present among 18- to 21-year-olds and that the Court should grant review in order to ensure that the imposition of the death penalty is not unconstitutionally imposed on developing youth.

On July 25, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Mr. Phillips' petition. He was executed the following day.