State of Florida
Respondent
Scott D. Makar, Counsel of Record Florida leads the Nation in sending teenagers to prison with no possibility of parole for non-murder crimes, and has at least 77 such inmates. Among them is Joe Sullivan, who was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison following his 1989 conviction for the rape and robbery of a 72-year-old woman. He is one of only two individuals to receive such a sentence as a 13-year-old. Over the ensuing 20 years, he has repeatedly challenged the constitutionality of his sentence, contending that his sentence violates the Eight Amendment’s prohibition of “cruel…
