Legal Docket

Use the filters on the left to browse our legal docket.  For more information on race equity arguments, use this tool.

221 - 230 of 381 resultsReset
Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

Commonwealth v. Jones

Pennsylvania Supreme Court •

Argued that sentences of life without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of homicide are unconstitutional in light of Miller and that Miller applies retroactively.

Records

Commonwealth v. Giulian

Pennsylvania Supreme Court •

Amici challenged a lower court’s holding limiting relief available via Pennsylvania’s summary offense expungement statute to only a narrow class of petitioners.

Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

Vasquez v. Virginia

U.S. Supreme Court •

Argued that sentences of 133 years and 68 years for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide offenses, with only the possibility of geriatric release, are unconstitutional as they fail to provide a meaningful opportunity to obtain release as mandated by Graham v. Florida.

Youth Interrogations & Access to Counsel

In re Dependency of K.P.T.

Washington Court of Appeals •

Argued that, given the significance of the child’s liberty interests at stake, due process requires appointment of counsel for children in dependency proceedings.

Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

Commonwealth v. Phillips

Pennsylvania Supreme Court •
We argued that sentences of life without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of homicide are unconstitutional.
Youth Tried as Adults

State v. Smiley

Missouri Supreme Court •

Argued that Missouri’s Armed Criminal Action statute, as applied to juveniles, is unconstitutional because its mandatory incarceration provision provides no opportunity to consider a juvenile’s reduced culpability, age, and related characteristics as required by Graham and Miller.

Youth Interrogations & Access to Counsel

Joseph H. v. California

U.S. Supreme Court •

Argued that a ten-year-old is unlikely to fully understand and appreciate the nature of his Miranda rights and should not be able to waive them on his own.

Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

Montgomery v. Louisiana

U.S. Supreme Court •

Juvenile Law Center was co-counsel in Montgomery v. Louisiana, a case recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court holding that Miller v. Alabama (2012) applies retroactively to individuals serving mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences.

Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

State v. Long

Ohio Supreme Court •
Argued that the court should clarify that Miller establishes a presumption against imposing juvenile life without parole; establish clear guidelines to ensure juvenile life without parole is not imposed arbitrarily and capriciously; and hold that juvenile life without parole can never be imposed when a juvenile is convicted based on a finding of “complicity.”
Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP)

People v. Rainer

Colorado Supreme Court •
Our brief argued that because Mr. Rainer’s sentence deprives him of a “meaningful opportunity to obtain release” as mandated by Graham and Miller, it is the functional equivalent of life without parole and is unconstitutional despite being labeled as a term-of-years sentence. We further argued that even when juveniles commit multiple nonhomicide offenses they are entitled to a “meaningful opportunity to obtain release” under Graham.