DETROIT– The Michigan Supreme Court said it will hear arguments in cases that could lead to a ban on automatic life sentences for people who were 19 or 20 when they were involved in a serious crime such as murder.
O court took a significant step in 2022 when he asserted that mandatory sentences without parole for 18-year-olds convicted of murder violated the Michigan Constitution’s prohibition on “cruel or unusual” punishments.
Now the court will consider whether to extend this principle to people aged 19 or 20.
In an order Friday, the Supreme Court said it would hear arguments in the coming months in cases from Wayne and Oakland counties.
Sentences of life without parole are still possible in Michigan for someone 18 or younger, but they are no longer automatic. Judges must hold hearings and learn about the person’s childhood, education, rehabilitation potential, and other factors. The onus is on prosecutors, if they so choose, to show that a life sentence is appropriate.
Critics of life sentences for young people argue that their brains are not fully developed, which sometimes leads to tragic decisions.
Several states across the country have banned life-without-parole sentences for juveniles, especially after a series of U.S. Supreme Court rulings beginning in 2012. Massachusetts’ highest court in January raised the minimum age for automatic life sentences from 18 to 21 years.
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