Timbs v. Indiana

Juvenile Law Center, joined by 40 other youth advocacy organizations, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Timbs and a 2012 Land Rover LR2 v. Indiana. Juvenile Law Center’s brief supports Mr. Timbs' position that the U.S. Constitution’s protection against excessive fines applies to state and local governments as well as to the federal government. Our brief seeks to educate the Court about how exorbitant fines and fees in the juvenile justice system affect young people and to underscore that children across the country will be at risk of serious harm and disproportionate penalties if the U.S. Constitution does not limit the states' power to extract money from children and their families.

A unanimous Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause is a protection which extends to the States. While Mr. Timbs was an adult, this decision is also a huge step forward for youth in the juvenile justice system.