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Miller v. Alabama

Oct 13, 2015

US justices hear arguments over life sentences for teenagers

People serving life terms for murders they committed as teenagers were looking to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday for signals about whether they will have a chance to seek their freedom.

Jul 7, 2014

ON THE DEFENSIVE: Children need shields from adult courts

In the past decade, there have been a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment,” as it applies to juvenile defendants.

Apr 27, 2012

Court considers age limit for life imprisonment

The question of whether the Constitution imposes an age limit on being sentenced to life in prison has left the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court struggling over where to draw difficult lines.

Nov 8, 2011

U.S. Supreme Court to decide constitutionality of life terms for minors

A year after holding that sentencing a juvenile to life without parole in non-murder cases violates the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether imposing such a sentence on a juvenile for capital murder is unconstitutional.

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