Excerpt
In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Miller v. Alabama that dispensing mandatory life sentences without the opportunity of parole to individuals convicted of crimes while under age 18 violated the Constitution’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The decision built on an earlier Court ruling in Graham v. Florida (2010), which said such sentences were prohibited for crimes other than homicide.
Following Miller, the 26 States that had such mandatory life sentencing were forced to end the practice.
The Supreme Court did not specify, however, what should be done with the individuals …
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Foreword
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Inside the Court
College Admissions, Prison Sentencing, and Legislative Redistricting on the Docket
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Juvenile Sentencing after Miller
State and Lower-Court Reaction
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Lower Court Holding in Louisiana v. Montgomery
Decision of the 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana
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Before the Court in Montgomery v. Louisiana
The Justices Weigh in on Sentencing Minors
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Pro & Con
Should the Supreme Court’s Decision Striking Down Mandatory Life Sentences for Juvenile Convicts Be Enforced Retroactively?
