Compare And Contrast Miller Vs Alabama

Supreme Court Case: Miller v. Alabama

Evan Miller and Colby Smith killed Cole Cannon. The Supreme Court of Alabama ruled on the ban against cruel and unusual punishment. This forbids the mandatory sentencing of life in prison without parole for juvenile homicide offenders. This case took place in June of 2012, President Obama was president at the time, and he was elected the same year for his second term. This could have affected their decision because President Obama chooses who is in the Senate. Miller and Smith may have felt more pressured to commit the crime because of fear of punishment as a result of President Obama's strong stance on crime. With President Obama's authority over appointing members to the Senate, this fear could have

This was used as a precedent. Any minor that has committed a crime should still have their rights. An adult knows exactly what they are getting into. That is why when it comes to homicide of an adult this precedent does not apply the same way. The court’s decision decided that it is a cruel and unusual punishment that forbids the mandatory sentencing of life in prison without the possibility of parole for juvenile homicide offenders. This was the majority vote which does not necessarily apply to adults because they have a free will. The minority's opinion was that we applying the law to anyone no matter the age should serve the same punishments as everyone else. That we should not even give it another

This is not providing life for minors when they do not have fully developed brains and do not know the way of life yet. This should deny them from being charged with life without parole as a minor. Your brain is not fully developed when you are a child. In other cases, parents must take accountability for the child in civil and criminal court. The Supreme Court of the United States uses the Constitution to support its decision by stating the 8th Amendment and its prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The 8th Amendment plays a significant role in this case. This is significant for our civil liberties. Along with the eighth amendment when lawyers use children’s characteristics including age, which are using precedents in these types of cases. This is used to guide the decision in the courtroom. An example of this happening is Jackson v Hobbs which is another case of a juvenile committing a harsh crime that would have been punished with life in prison without parole if the defendant was not a child. They also used the same reasons to give the defendant a lesser charge. This case is almost identical to Miller v.