Legal Research

The Supreme Court released its opinion today in Graham v. Florida, ruling that juveniles convicted of crimes other than homicide may not be sentenced to life sentences without the possibility of parole.  In the 5-4 majority opinion in Graham, Justice Kennedy wrote, ''The state has denied him any chance to later demonstrate that he is fit to rejoin society based solely on a nonhomicide crime that he committed while he was a child in the eyes of the law. This the Eighth Amendment does not permit.''  Although the Court heard oral arguments in the case of Joe Sullivan, another Florida juvenile sentenced to life without parole, the Court did not issue an opinion in the Sullivan case. For more information about the Graham case, check out the New York Times coverage or this Wall Street Journal article.

Professors Connie de la Vega and Michelle Leighton were co-authors of the SCOTUS amicus curiae brief submitted by Amnesty International in the Graham and Sullivan cases, arguing that the Court should consider international law and opinion when applying the Eighth Amendment to life sentences without parole for juveniles.  Congratulations to our faculty members!