On Monday, June 25th, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for states to require juveniles convicted of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was a 5-4 decision which follows suit with other lower court decisions. This includes ruling out the death penalty for juveniles and life without parole for young people whose crimes did not involve murder. Because of Monday’s decision, the Supreme Court Judges left the possibility that other judges can sentence juveniles to life without parole in individual cases of murder. However, state laws cannot automatically give such a sentence. The decision needed to be made after the robbery and murder cases of Evan Miller and Kuntrell Jackson, who were both 14 when they were convicted of killing a man in Alabama and being ans accomplice in an Arkansas robbery that ended in someone else committing murder, respectively. For more information go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/25/2866918/court-no-more-life-without-parole.html#storylink=cpy.
Hassett practices criminal law in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Need a criminal lawyer? Call us @ 954-791-3939.
