Supreme Court to Decide on Life Sentences for Juvenile Offenders
School
Texas Tech University**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
POLS MISC
Subject
Law
Date
Dec 11, 2024
Pages
1
Uploaded by BrigadierStarGoldfinch30
What case is the Supreme Court about to hear?Two Florida men who were given life sentences without the possibility of release are set to appeal to theSupreme Court. He participated in an armed robbery when he was 16 and raped another when he was 13.Whether these sentences are unconstitutional will be decided in this case. Both are serving life termswithout the possibility of release.What is the constitutional issue in this case?Whether juvenile offenders' life sentences without the possibility of release violate the EighthAmendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment is the constitutional question at hand. It is argued thatthose under the age of eighteen should be eligible for parole or a less harsh punishment because they arethought to be mentally, emotionally, and cognitively unformed.What is the conflict between Florida’s attorney general and Florida’s legislature about?The handling of juvenile criminals receiving life sentences is the subject of a dispute between the FloridaLegislature and the state's attorney general. The Attorney General contends that due to the seriousness oftheir offenses, these young people ought to be kept behind bars without the possibility of release.However, because of the high expense of keeping a big prison population, the Florida Legislature ispushing for the release of some inmates.If you had to decide this case, what would your decision be?Juveniles' capacity for rehabilitation must be weighed against the seriousness of their crimes, making thisa challenging choice. Given that adolescent criminals have a greater capacity for personal developmentand change than adults, I would incline toward granting them some kind of parole. They should be giventhe chance to be released and rehabilitated in the future because they are under the age of 18, which is acritical developmental stage. As a result, I would probably agree with the petitioners that adolescentscannot be granted life in prison without the possibility of parole.
