Michigan’s Supreme Court considers further reducing life sentences without parole

DETROIT – The Michigan Supreme Court has announced that it will consider cases that could result in a ban on automatic life sentences for people who were 19 or 20 years old when they participated in a serious crime such as murder.

The court took a significant step in 2022 when it declared that mandatory prison sentences without parole for 18-year-olds convicted of murder violated the Michigan Constitution’s ban on “cruel or unusual” punishments.

The court will now consider whether this principle should be extended to persons aged 19 or 20.

In an order Friday, the Supreme Court said it will hear arguments in cases from Wayne and Oakland counties in the coming months.

In Michigan, life sentences without parole are still possible for people under 18, but they are no longer automatic. Judges must conduct hearings and learn about the person’s childhood, education, rehabilitation opportunities and other factors. The burden of proof is on prosecutors, who must show, if they so choose, that a life sentence is appropriate.

Critics of life sentences for young people argue that their brains are not yet fully developed, which sometimes leads to tragic decisions.

Numerous states across the country have abolished life sentences without parole for minors, particularly following a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions beginning in 2012. Massachusetts’ highest court in January raised the minimum age for an automatic life sentence from 18 to 21.