US Supreme Court Cases

here. On November 9, 2009, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Graham v. Florida and Sullivan v. Florida. In both cases the court will decide whether or not sentencing a juvenile to life without parole for a non-homicide offense violates the prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.  A decision will be issued by the Supreme Court some time between January and June 2010.

In California, there are only four people sentenced to juvenile life without parole  for non-homicide cases. The total number of   juvenile life without parole cases in California is approximately 263.

More information

Please go to Equal Justice Initiative website for more information about these two Supreme Court cases.

Amicus Briefs

Many organizations and individuals submitted “friend of the court” (amicus) briefs to the Supreme Court  in support of the two youth who were sentenced to LWOP.  Law enforcement, victim family members, religious groups,  scientists, educators, disability rights activists, and groups like the the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, Human Rights Watch, Mental Health America, National Association of Social Workers, and many others all signed on to briefs arguing that the court should find in favor of the young people in these cases.  You can read these briefs here.