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50th Anniversary of In re Gault

Last week, the Office of the Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial Circuit and the League of Women Voters of Orange County celebrated the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision In re Gault. The program began with Gault:…
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ABA Urges Supreme Court to Follow Miller Standard for Juvenile Punishments

In an amicus brief filed Tuesday, the ABA urged the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize that juveniles’ “diminished culpability and greater prospects for reform” separate them from adults and that those whose crimes “reflect transient…
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Supreme Court Won’t Consider Expanding Juvenile Death Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to consider extending its ban on executing juvenile offenders to people who were as old as 20 when they committed their crimes. The justices also denied a stay of execution for Michael Brandon Samra,…
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After 55 Years in Prison, Baton Rouge Man Key to Supreme Court Ruling Again Denied Freedom

Henry Montgomery's victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 created a way for hundreds of prisoners like him — those convicted of horrific crimes while juveniles — to earn their freedom by demonstrating their rehabilitation since their…
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Supreme Court to Consider Whether Beltway Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo Deserves New Sentencing

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider whether Lee Boyd Malvo, the teenage half of the Beltway snipers who terrorized the Washington region 16 years ago, may challenge his sentence of life in prison without parole. Malvo, 34, was…
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Registration Open: Miller/Graham Updates by Roseanne Eckert

Join CFACDL Wednesday, September 26 from 11:30am-1:15pm on Miller/Graham Updates with speaker Roseanne Eckert from the Juvenile Resentencing and Review Project. Register here.
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Supreme Court Won’t Hear the Case of Brendan Dassey, Sentenced to Life as a Teen and Featured in ‘Making a Murderer’ – The Washington Post

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a plea to intervene in the case of Brendan Dassey, whose confession to rape and murder as a teenager was portrayed as coerced in the popular Netflix documentary “Making a Murderer.” Read more.
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Jacksonville Man Subject of Landmark Ruling Will Wait Years for his Chance at Release – The Florida Times-Union

Terrence Graham, subject of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Graham v. Florida, may have to wait several years before given a meaningful opportunity for release. Read more.   Image courtesy of the Florida Department of…
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In the “Making a Murderer” Case, the Supreme Court Could Help Address the Problem of False Confessions – The New Yorker

Lawyers for Brendan Dassey, whose case is featured in Making a Murderer, have filed petitions with the U.S. Supreme Court. Read more. Briefs Petition for Writ of Ceriorari Respondent's Brief in Opposition Petitioner's Reply Brief Amicus…
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Jacksonville Teen Sentenced to Life in Prison Ordered Released at Age 57 – The Florida Times-Union

Anthony Dixon was sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile non-homicide offender in 1975. After 43 years in prison, Judge Linda McCallum has ordered Dixon's release. Read more.   Image courtesy of the Florida Department of …
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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal of Teen Sentenced to 241 Years in Prison – The Hill

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the case of Bobby Bostic, who argues that his 241-year sentence violates the Eighth Amendment under Graham v. Florida. Read more and watch.
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I Sentenced a Teen to Die in Prison. I Regret It – The Washington Post

In this op-ed, retired Missouri circuit court judge Evelyn Baker expresses her regrets about sentencing a 16-year-old to 241 years in prison for armed robbery. Read more.   Photo by Mitchel Lensink on Unsplash.