––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
- Posted August 13, 2012
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Schuette speaks for crime victims at legislature
LANSING, MI--Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is working with legislators as they review the impact of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling addressing the constitutionality of mandatory sentences of life without parole for convicted teenage murderers in the consolidated cases of Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs.
''As we review the impact of the Supreme Court ruling that struck down mandatory life in prison sentences for teenage murderers, I encourage everyone to never lose sight of the victims and families who were permanently damaged by these vicious murders,'' said Schuette. ''Their loved ones are never coming back. As we take steps to comply with the Court's ruling, we will work with prosecutors, judges and legislators to ensure crime victims' constitutional rights are fully respected.''
The Attorney General Crime Victim's Advocate, John Lazet, today testified on Schuette's behalf before the House Corrections Appropriations Subcommittee chaired by Representative Joe Haveman (R-Holland). Lazet emphasized the importance of taking time to contact and educate crime victims affected by the ruling, many of whom likely did not register for the Michigan Crime Victim's Notification Network due to the imposition of life sentences without parole for the offenders.
Schuette notes that the Michigan constitution empowers crime victims to attend all court proceedings and make statements at sentencing hearings (Art. I, sec. 24).
According to the ruling, future sentencings for teenage murderers will require the trial judge to make a decision as to whether the life sentence is subject to parole. It is unclear whether the ruling will apply retroactively to teenage murderers who are already convicted and have exhausted their direct appeals.
Copyright © 2012 State of Michigan
Published: Mon, Aug 13, 2012
headlines Ingham County
- Task force formed to support public defenders
- Tragedy spurs student to pursue law degree
- Former GM lobbyist Brian D. O’Connell joins Clark Hill Public Strategies LLC
- 5Qs: Michigan Law School Professor Reuven Avi-Yonah discusses hot topics in tax law
- Cooley Law Professor Mark Cooney co-authors a legal-writing casebook
headlines National
- Civil legal aid lawyers are often the last line of defense. Why are there so few of them?
- Bankruptcy law firm files for Chapter 11 after losing advertising dispute
- Dentons and Boies Schiller face $300M racketeering suit after client loses international arbitration
- Mother’s Day and the changing face of family dynamics and custody arrangements
- Federal judge reprimanded for handcuffing teen spectator in scared-straight approach
- Lawyer whose firm sued Boeing finds emergency slide that fell from company’s plane near his home