Half a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it wouldn’t extend protections for children facing life without parole, state constitutions offer hope.
More than thirty states will hold elections for supreme court seats this year, including Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Montana where court decisions have been political flashpoints.
At oral arguments over the constitutionality of mandatory life-without-parole sentences for young adults, several justices suggested the right to be free from “cruel or unusual” punishments might be fundamental.
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