SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Life Without Parole for Juveniles
Jun 25, 2012
In a Supreme Court decision today, judges ruled 5-4 that juveniles convicted of homicide can not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
The decision written by Justice Elena Kagan stated, "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."
Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who argued in the two cases in question, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, stated:
"This is an important win for children. The Court took a significant step forward by recognizing the fundamental unfairness of mandatory death-in-prison sentences that don't allow sentencers to consider the unique status of children and their potential for change. The Court has recognized that children need additional attention and protection in the criminal justice system."
* * *
* * *
CBS News: Supreme Court strikes down mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it is unconstitutional to mandate a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for a juvenile convicted of homicide.
In previous cases, the court had held that the death penalty for juveniles, as well as life without parole for juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes, was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
In its decision, written by Justice Elena Kagan, the court concluded 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."
The two cases before the court, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, involved young men convicted of homicides when they were 14-years-old. [...]
According to Human Rights Watch, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on human rights, approximately 2,570 people are serving life without parole in the United States for crimes they committed before turning 18.
# # #
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a Supreme Court decision today, judges ruled 5-4 that juveniles convicted of homicide can not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
The decision written by Justice Elena Kagan stated, "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."
Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who argued in the two cases in question, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, stated:
"This is an important win for children. The Court took a significant step forward by recognizing the fundamental unfairness of mandatory death-in-prison sentences that don't allow sentencers to consider the unique status of children and their potential for change. The Court has recognized that children need additional attention and protection in the criminal justice system."
* * *
* * *
CBS News: Supreme Court strikes down mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it is unconstitutional to mandate a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for a juvenile convicted of homicide.
In previous cases, the court had held that the death penalty for juveniles, as well as life without parole for juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes, was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
In its decision, written by Justice Elena Kagan, the court concluded 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."
The two cases before the court, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, involved young men convicted of homicides when they were 14-years-old. [...]
According to Human Rights Watch, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on human rights, approximately 2,570 people are serving life without parole in the United States for crimes they committed before turning 18.
# # #
In a Supreme Court decision today, judges ruled 5-4 that juveniles convicted of homicide can not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
The decision written by Justice Elena Kagan stated, "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."
Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who argued in the two cases in question, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, stated:
"This is an important win for children. The Court took a significant step forward by recognizing the fundamental unfairness of mandatory death-in-prison sentences that don't allow sentencers to consider the unique status of children and their potential for change. The Court has recognized that children need additional attention and protection in the criminal justice system."
* * *
* * *
CBS News: Supreme Court strikes down mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it is unconstitutional to mandate a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for a juvenile convicted of homicide.
In previous cases, the court had held that the death penalty for juveniles, as well as life without parole for juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes, was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
In its decision, written by Justice Elena Kagan, the court concluded 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."
The two cases before the court, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, involved young men convicted of homicides when they were 14-years-old. [...]
According to Human Rights Watch, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on human rights, approximately 2,570 people are serving life without parole in the United States for crimes they committed before turning 18.
# # #
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy