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Commonwealth v. Sharma
The court ruled a juvenile convicted of second-degree murder was not entitled to automatic resentencing under new laws. His life sentence was not cruel, but the original judge should have considered his age and rehabilitation.
State v. McDougald
The court denied McDougald's appeal to reduce his life sentence. Changes in sentencing laws do not retroactively apply to his past violent felony convictions, thus his original sentence stands.
People v. Matias
An appeals court upheld a murder sentence for a defendant convicted at 16. The court found the original judge considered his age, and the sentence was within legal limits.
State of Ohio v. Graham
The court upheld a life sentence without parole for a 21-year-old convicted of aggravated murder. His requests to represent himself were unclear, and his age did not violate constitutional protections.
In re Williams
The Washington Supreme Court denied a prisoner's petition challenging COVID-19 confinement conditions. The Court found the state's efforts to mitigate the virus were sufficient and the conditions did not violate constitutional rights.
Lee Boyd Malvo v. State of Maryland
The court ruled Malvo's life-without-parole sentences, imposed as a 17-year-old, should be reevaluated. This reflects Supreme Court changes requiring youth and rehabilitation potential to be considered in juvenile sentencing.
State v. Ali
The Minnesota Supreme Court found that consecutive life sentences for a juvenile are not the same as life without parole. The Court declined to extend federal precedent that restricts juvenile life without parole.
Commonwealth v. Romanelli
A juvenile offender initially sentenced to life without parole for murder appealed his resentencing. The court found the lower court failed to consider rehabilitation potential, vacating the sentence and remanding the case.
State v. Diaz
The court upheld a juvenile's transfer to adult court for assault but ordered a hearing on whether Miranda rights were knowingly waived before her statements to police.
Kelsey v. State
The Florida Supreme Court ruled that a ban on life sentences for juvenile non-homicide offenders applied retroactively. However, the Court found Kelsey's resentenced term of years to be appropriate given his crimes.
Commonwealth v. Jones
The court held that mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. It ordered a new sentencing hearing for Jones, who was sentenced as a juvenile, to consider his youth and rehabilitation potential.
Vasquez v. Virginia
The Virginia Supreme Court upheld a lengthy sentence for a juvenile offender's felonies. The court ruled the sentence was not cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
Commonwealth v. Phillips
The court found a juvenile's life sentence without parole was untimely challenged. Although mandatory juvenile life sentences are unconstitutional, this ruling did not automatically apply to Phillips's old case.
State v. Long
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that juvenile life without parole sentences require courts to consider youth and rehabilitation potential. This partially affirmed a juvenile offender's challenge to his sentence for multiple murders.
Moore v. Gwathney
A federal case argues Alabama's parole board makes release impossible for people sentenced as juveniles to life without parole. The plaintiffs seek a court order for a meaningful chance at parole.