Supreme Court Bar Life Terms for Youths Who Haven't Killed

In a 5-4 decision, the U. S. Supreme Court held that sentences of life without possibility of parole for crimes other than homicide that were committed when the offender was under the age of 18 are unconstitutional. The decision, in a Florida case involving an armed burglary conviction, stated such life sentences violated the 8th Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

For a full discussion of the case see http://topics.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/08-7412