Montgomery v. Louisiana
The Court Rules That All Juveniles Sentenced to Life Must Be Given an Opportunity for Parole
Montgomery v. Louisiana was featured in Life Without Parole, Supreme Court Debates (Nov. 2015). The following is excerpted from the summary of the 6-to-3 opinion written by Justice Kennedy, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions: Miller v. Alabama’s (2012) prohibition on mandatory life without parole for juvenile offenders announced a new substantive rule that, under the Constitution, is retroactive in cases on State collateral review. The “foundation stone” for Miller’s analysis was the line of precedent holding certain punishments disproportionate when applied to juveniles. Relying on Roper v. Simmons (2005) and Graham v. Florida (2010), Miller recognized that…
