Lawmakers attempt an end run around the Illinois Supreme Court
To read this article on the Chicago Tribune website, click here.
Last Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles were never constitutional in Illinois, and that those sentenced under those guidelines are entitled to new sentencing hearings:
We observe that Miller (a US Supreme Court case) does not invalidate the penalty of natural life without parole for multiple murderers, only its mandatory imposition on juveniles. A minor may still be sentenced to natural life imprisonment without parole so long as the sentence is at the trial court’s discretion rather than mandatory. We remand for a new sentencing hearing, where the trial court may consider all permissible sentences.