FAIRNESS

SCOTUS Bans Juvenile Life Sentences Retroactively

In a 6-3 decision.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a 2012 decision banning life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders should retroactively apply to those sentenced before the ruling. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito dissented in the 6-3 decision, with the majority led by Justice Anthony Kennedy. The ruling will affect more than 1,000 people, especially in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—the three states with the most people serving life sentences for juvenile homicide offenses. While the court will not require states to re-sentence all the convicts, it will allow the affected to be considered for parole.