Miller v. Alabama
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| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-9646 | Ala. Ct. Crim. App. |
Mar 20, 2012 Tr. |
Jun 25, 2012 | 5-4 | Kagan | OT 2011 |
Holding: The Eighth Amendment prohibits a sentencing scheme that requires life in prison without the possibility of parole for juvenile homicide offenders.
Plain English Summary: In a series of decisions dating back to 1988, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that youths under age 18 who commit crimes must not necessarily get as severe a punishment as adults who committed the same kind of crimes. Among other rulings, the Court has forbidden the death penalty for minors who commit murders, and it has barred a sentence of life in prison without a chance of release for minors who commit crimes in which the victim is not killed. In this new ruling, the Court avoiding imposing such a flat ban on life without parole for a minor who commits murder, but it did rule out such a sentence as a mandatory requirement in all such cases. It said, though, that it does not expect very many youths under age 18 to get such a sentence that essentially would require them to stay in prison until they die.
Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Kagan on June 25, 2012. Justice Breyer filed a concurring opinion, in which Justice Sotomayor joined. Chief Justice Roberts filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito joined. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion, in which SCALIA, J., joined. Justice Alito, filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Scalia joined.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Academic highlight: Drinan on the implementation of Graham and Miller (Amanda Frost)
- Opinion recap: Narrow ruling on young murderers' sentences (Lyle Denniston)
- Eighth Amendment prohibits mandatory life without parole for juveniles (Tejinder Singh)
- Argument recap: Compromise on youth sentences? (Lyle Denniston)
- Argument preview: Youthful crimes, life sentences (Lyle Denniston)
- SCOTUS for law students: Defining the contours of the Eighth Amendment (Stephen Wermiel)
- New review on youths' punishment (Lyle Denniston)
Briefs and Documents
Merits Briefs for the Petitioner- Brief for Evan Miller
- Reply Brief for Evan Miller
- Brief for Former Juvenile Court Judges
- Brief for The American Psychological Association et al.
- Brief for Amnesty International, et al.
- Brief for Certain Family Members of Victims Killed by Youths
- Brief of Jeffrey Fagan et al.
- Brief for J. Lawrence Aber et al.
- Brief for Professor of Law and his Students from the Moritz College of Law
- Brief for Juvenile Law Center et al.
- Brief for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund et al.
- Brief for Michigan et al.
- Brief for National District Attorneys Association
- Brief for the National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Lifers
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