Our brief urged the court to grant review to address the constitutionality of Ohio's felony murder statute as applied to juveniles because it prescribes a mandatory 15 years to life sentence without consideration of youth.
Our brief urged the court to grant review in order to clarify that its prior rulings extend to term-of-years sentences that are the functional equivalent of juvenile life without parole and hold that any sentence that condemns a youth to die in prison is constitutionally disproportionate regardless of whether it is formally labeled “life without parole.”
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.
Our brief argued the imposition of life without parole sentences on young adults is unconstitutional because, as emerging research shows, the brain functions relevant to the characteristics of youth are still developing in young adults.
Thirteen-year old L.G. was arrested immediately after being questioned at his school by a school official in the presence of police during a joint investigation
Juvenile Law Center, along with The Promise of Justice Initiative and Children and Family Justice Center, filed an amicus brief in support of Larry Newton’s
Our brief urged the court to grant review in order to enforce its precedent recognizing the reduced culpability and heightened Eighth Amendment protections for youth, and declare a categorical bar on all life without parole sentences for juveniles. We argued that juvenile life without parole sentences are imposed in racially discriminatory ways that disproportionately punish Black boys.
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