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Arguments made to Missouri Supreme Court against mandatory juve LWOP

By Douglas A. Berman

This local article, which is headlined "Mo. high court is asked to end mandatory life sentences for young killers," reports on a notable effort to extend the Supreme Court's recent Eighth Amendment work in Graham (with dash of Blakely throw in for good measure).  Here are the details: An attorney for a St. Louis teen, sentenced to spend his life in prison after he was convicted of killing police officer Norvelle Brown, argued Wednesday that juveniles should not receive automatic life sentences. Attorney Brocca Smith said that for a juvenile, a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole is cruel and unusual punishment and urged the Missouri Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.  Smith limited her argument to juveniles and only those who have received an automatic sentence of life without parole...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on October 21, 2010 (boomark / email).