LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court made an extraordinary change to the state's sentencing law Thursday, striking down automatic, no-parole prison terms for 19-year-olds and 20-year-olds convicted of murder.
As a result, hundreds of people will be eligible to return to local courts for new sentences and an opportunity for freedom.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 opinion, said mandatory life sentences for people who were 19 and 20 at the time of the crime violate a ban against "cruel or unusual punishment" in the Michigan Constitution. The court made a similar decision for 18-year-olds in 2022.
A mandatory life sentence "that does not allow for consideration of the mitigating factors of youth or the potential for rehabilitation is a grossly disproportionate punishment," Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote.
A life sentence still could be possible though rare. The burden will be on prosecutors to show that someone convicted of murder should never get a chance at parole. Judges will hear evidence about family life, mental health, education and other factors, the same process followed for people 18 or under.
Welch said the court's decision was rooted in scientific research about brain development and a young person's ability to fully grasp the consequences of their actions.
"As late adolescents mature into fully developed adults, they become less prone to reckless decision-making, more likely to consider and appreciate consequences, and less susceptible to peer pressure," Welch said.
In a dissent, Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement said lawmakers, not the court, should decide whether to change the law.
"Courts should not reshape the law with every shift in scientific consensus, especially when it is the Michigan Constitution that is the subject of reshaping," said Clement, who was joined by Justice Brian Zahra.
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