Graham strongvstrong. Florida A Game-Changing Victory for Both Juveniles.pdf

Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School Loyola of Los Ang l s Law R vi w Law R vi ws 9-1-2011 Graham v. Florida: A Game-Changing Victory for Both Juveniles and Juvenile-Rights Advocates Michelle Marquis R comm nd d Citation Mich lle Marquis, Graham v. Florida: A Game-Chang ing Victory f or Both Juveniles and Juvenile-Rig hts Advocates, 45 Loy. L.A . L. R v. 255 (2011). Available at : http://digitalcommons.lmu. du/llr/vol45/iss1/7 This Not s and Comm nts is brought to you for fr e and op n acc ss by the Law R vi ws at Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount Univ rsity and Loyola Law School. It has b n acc pt d for inclusion in Loyola of Los Ang l s Law R vi w by an authoriz d administrator of Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount Univ rsity and Loyola Law School. For more information, pl ase contact digitalcommons@lmu. du. GRAHAM V. FLORIDA: A GAME-CHANGING VICTORY FOR BOTH JUVENILES AND JUVENILE-RIGHTS ADVOCATES Michelle Marquis * In Graham v. Florida, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution—specifically, the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the Eighth Amendment—prohibits the imposition of a life without parole sentence on a juvenile offender who did not commit a homicide. Graham marks a significant departure from the Supreme Court’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence because it categorically bars life sentences for juveniles who are convicted of nonhomicide crimes based on juveniles’ unique amenabil