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ruling, in which Justice Elena Kagan wrote that mandatory life without parole for a juvenile "precludes consideration of his chronological age and its hallmark features -- among them, immaturity, impetuosity and failure to appreciate risks and consequences."
• Teens still know right from wrong, Horan contends, when it involves "something so fundamental as killing and not killing."
• But Aponte says he can relate to Kagan's argument. When he recalls his youth leading up to the robbery, Aponte describes beatings he suffered and a world where guns were commonplace. Yearning for a male role model, he admired his cousin, who had just moved to Connecticut.
• "When I think about it now, I was definitely a follower in a lot of areas," he said. "I should have had more courage to stand up, and I didn't."
• Aponte acknowledges he was in denial about the crime at first, focusing more on trying to survive in prison. But three years after the robbery, Aponte said he read letters from his victim's family, including one from Horan, who wrote about the grief of losing a son and how he hoped Aponte would make something of his life. Aponte said that changed him.
• He still has the appearance of a fresh-faced kid, but Aponte speaks with the wisdom of a prison elder who has spent time thinking about why he wound up incarcerated and how to make the best of it.
• "I never thought I'd be able to see life the way I see it now," he said. "I don't even recognize that other person."
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