Miller v. Alabama: Juveniles and Eighth Amendment
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 137A
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
The recent case of Miller v. Alabama continues the trend of the US Supreme Court looking at juveniles differently than adults regarding sentences and the Eighth Amendment. In the Miller case, Evan Miller was 14 years old when sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The majority of the US Supreme Court found that the mandatory sentencing of life without parole for juveniles was in direct violation of the Eighth Amendment because the sentence was disproportionate for the crime. Since the ruling courts now have to distinguish if the proportionality of the crime fits a sentence of life without parole without giving too much leniency to the juvenile for their crime. This presentation will discuss the facts of the case and the implications for juvenile sentences which have come into conflict with their rights protected under the Eighth Amendment. Also discussed in this presentation will be the trends of the US Supreme Court when deciding penalties for juveniles charged as an adult and their decision in the Roper and Graham cases.
Recommended Citation
Welch, Edward, "Miller v. Alabama: Juveniles and Eighth Amendment" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 138.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/oralpresentations/138
Additional Mentoring Department
Law and Justice
Miller v. Alabama: Juveniles and Eighth Amendment
SURC 137A
The recent case of Miller v. Alabama continues the trend of the US Supreme Court looking at juveniles differently than adults regarding sentences and the Eighth Amendment. In the Miller case, Evan Miller was 14 years old when sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The majority of the US Supreme Court found that the mandatory sentencing of life without parole for juveniles was in direct violation of the Eighth Amendment because the sentence was disproportionate for the crime. Since the ruling courts now have to distinguish if the proportionality of the crime fits a sentence of life without parole without giving too much leniency to the juvenile for their crime. This presentation will discuss the facts of the case and the implications for juvenile sentences which have come into conflict with their rights protected under the Eighth Amendment. Also discussed in this presentation will be the trends of the US Supreme Court when deciding penalties for juveniles charged as an adult and their decision in the Roper and Graham cases.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Mary Ellen Reimund