Jackson v. Norris
SummaryOriginal

Summary

2013 | State Juristiction

Jackson v. Norris

Keywords juvenile offender; life without parole; juvenile life without parole; JLWOP; Miller v. Alabama; resentencing

Abstract

Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a significant case in the Arkansas Supreme Court that dealt with the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without parole. The defendant, Kuntrell Jackson, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at the age of 14. Arkansas law mandated a sentence of life without parole for individuals convicted of capital murder. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Due to the Miller decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. Jackson was granted a new sentencing hearing where his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime could be considered, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

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Abstract

Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a significant case in the Arkansas Supreme Court that dealt with the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without parole. The defendant, Kuntrell Jackson, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at the age of 14. Arkansas law mandated a sentence of life without parole for individuals convicted of capital murder. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Due to the Miller decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. Jackson was granted a new sentencing hearing where his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime could be considered, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

Summary

The case of Jackson v. Norris (2013) serves as a significant illustration of the Arkansas Supreme Court's application of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama (2012) regarding the constitutionality of mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders.

Kuntrell Jackson, a 14-year-old at the time, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery. Under Arkansas law, a conviction for capital murder resulted in a mandatory life sentence without parole. Following the Miller decision, which deemed such mandatory sentences unconstitutional, Jackson's case was remanded for resentencing.

The Arkansas Supreme Court, in line with the Miller ruling, determined that Jackson's sentencing hearing should consider factors such as his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime. The court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for a writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the Miller v. Alabama ruling, effectively prohibiting mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders.

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Abstract

Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a significant case in the Arkansas Supreme Court that dealt with the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without parole. The defendant, Kuntrell Jackson, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at the age of 14. Arkansas law mandated a sentence of life without parole for individuals convicted of capital murder. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Due to the Miller decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. Jackson was granted a new sentencing hearing where his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime could be considered, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

Summary

The case of Jackson v. Norris (2013) is a significant decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding the sentencing of juvenile offenders. Kuntrell Jackson, convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at age 14, was sentenced to life without parole under Arkansas law. However, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama (2012) declared mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles unconstitutional.

The Arkansas Supreme Court, following the Miller precedent, remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. At the new hearing, the court considered Jackson's age, his characteristics as a youth, and the circumstances of his crime. The Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately overturned the denial of Jackson's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, requiring a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling, prohibiting mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles.

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Abstract

Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a significant case in the Arkansas Supreme Court that dealt with the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without parole. The defendant, Kuntrell Jackson, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at the age of 14. Arkansas law mandated a sentence of life without parole for individuals convicted of capital murder. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Due to the Miller decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. Jackson was granted a new sentencing hearing where his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime could be considered, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

Summary

The case of Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a landmark case in the Arkansas Supreme Court regarding the sentencing of juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kuntrell Jackson, the defendant, was only 14 years old when he was found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery. At the time, Arkansas law required a sentence of life without parole for anyone convicted of capital murder.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for minors were unconstitutional. Because of this ruling, the Arkansas Supreme Court sent Jackson's case back for a new sentencing hearing. During the new hearing, the court would be able to consider Jackson's age, his maturity level, and the severity of his crime. The Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately decided to overturn the denial of Jackson's petition for a new trial and sent his case back for resentencing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which banned mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

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Abstract

Jackson v. Norris (2013) was a significant case in the Arkansas Supreme Court that dealt with the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without parole. The defendant, Kuntrell Jackson, was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery at the age of 14. Arkansas law mandated a sentence of life without parole for individuals convicted of capital murder. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional. Due to the Miller decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court remanded Jackson's case for resentencing. Jackson was granted a new sentencing hearing where his age, age-related characteristics, and the nature of his crime could be considered, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ultimately reversed the denial of Jackson's petition for writ of habeas corpus and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing. This decision aligned with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles.

Summary

Kuntrell Jackson was a young man who was found guilty of a very serious crime when he was only 14 years old. He was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of ever getting out. But, a new law came along that said it was not fair to give kids that kind of sentence without thinking about how young they are and how they might change.

So, the court looked at his case again and said that they needed to consider how young he was and all the things that might have happened to him before he committed the crime. They decided that his sentence needed to be looked at again, which means the judge might decide he should get a different sentence. This decision was important because it meant that the law had to be changed to make sure that kids who commit crimes have a chance to be considered fairly.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

426 S.W.3d 906 (Ark. 2013)

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