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State v. Wright
The court vacated a death sentence. Expert testimony showed the defendant's heroin addiction and cognitive limits made his Miranda waiver unknowing and confession unreliable.
Conley v. State
The Indiana Supreme Court upheld a life without parole sentence for a 17-year-old murderer. The court found the victim's young age outweighed the defendant's age and mental health.
Brief of Juvenile Law Center on Behalf of Appellant
This brief argues that Nebraska's mandatory life without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional. It claims the law fails to consider a juvenile's culpability or provide parole for those not directly involved in a killing.
Brief of Amici Curiae Juvenile Law Center et al. in Support of Appellees and Urging Affirmance
This brief argues that routine, suspicionless strip searches of juveniles for minor offenses are unconstitutional. It claims these searches violate Fourth Amendment rights and do not meet "special needs" criteria.
Brief on Behalf of Defendant-Appellant
This brief argues that the lower court's sentence for a juvenile violates Supreme Court precedent by not considering the individual's culpability and denying a meaningful chance for release.
Brief of Jeffrey Fagan, Deborah Baskin, Frank R. Baumgartner, Katherine Beckett, Donna Bishop, Alfred Blumstein, and Robert Brame et al. as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners
This brief argues that the "juvenile superpredator" concept, which led to harsh sentencing for youth, was a myth. It contends that life without parole sentences for juveniles lack an empirical basis and do not deter crime.
Brief of Juvenile Law Center et al. as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners
This brief argues that sentencing juveniles to life without parole violates the Eighth Amendment. It contends that juveniles are less culpable than adults and capable of rehabilitation, making such sentences disproportionate.
Supplemental Brief for Amicus Curiae the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association in Support of Appellee the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Miller v. Alabama only bars mandatory life without parole for juveniles and does not negate first-degree murder convictions. It requires a new sentencing hearing to consider youth, but a maximum life term remains valid.
Brief of NAACP et al. in Support of Petitioners
This brief argues that sentencing a 14-year-old to life without parole is unconstitutional, citing cruel and unusual punishment. It states that racial bias improperly influences such sentences for children.
Brief of Juvenile Law Center and the National Juvenile Defender Center as Amici Curiae in Support of Petition for a Writ of Certiorari
This brief argues that sentencing a child to prison for over 100 years for non-homicide crimes is unconstitutional. It asserts that children must have a meaningful chance for release, even if not labeled "life without parole."
Brief of Amici Curiae J. Lawrence Aber et Al., in Support of Petitioners
Adolescents' developing brains make them less culpable than adults and capable of change. Life without parole for adolescent homicide offenses is therefore unfair and unconstitutional.
Brief for the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and National Association of Social Workers as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners
This brief argues that scientific research on juvenile brain development supports extending a ban on life sentences for non-homicide juvenile offenses to all juvenile crimes. It asserts that juveniles are less culpable than adults.
Montana Cannabis Industry Ass'n v. State
The Montana Supreme Court found parts of a medical marijuana law unconstitutional in 2012, striking down limits on patients per physician and advertising bans, but upheld other provisions.
Heritability and Longitudinal Stability of Impulsivity in Adolescence
Impulsivity is a personality trait linked to various mental health conditions and antisocial behaviors in both children and adults.
Striatum–medial Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity Predicts Developmental Changes in Reinforcement Learning
The study found that learning from feedback improves with age. This improvement is linked to developmental changes in how the brain represents prediction errors and in the connectivity between brain regions.