By: David Quinn, Junior Editor Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com This year, a Michigan dispute over property taxes and a forced housing auction has made its way to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has granted certiorari to resolve two issues: first, whether it was a violation of the Fifth […]
Post Tagged with: "Eighth Amendment"
Can States Eliminate the Insanity Defense?
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By: Samantha Thompson, Staff Writer On October 7th, 2019, the first day of the 2019-2020 Supreme Court term, the Court heard the arguments for Kahler v. Kansas, to determine whether the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments permit a state to abolish the insanity defense.[1] The insanity […]
Juveniles Still Face Life Sentences Without the Possibility of Parole
By Karissa Murphy, Executive Editor Carlos Flores was 17 years old when he was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 21-years-to-life imprisonment. Flores and three others attempted to rob a bar in Queens, New York in 1981.[1] During the robbery, an off-duty police officer who was at […]
Retroactivity and Hope for Juvenile Lifers
By Amber McGee, Staff Writer Teenagers and kids alike are impulsive. Their brains have not fully developed, and they are not yet the people of sound character they may grow to become. Decision making is quicker and based on peer pressure. During one’s teenage years, inhibitions are low, and […]