WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has voted 7-1 to extend its year-old ruling that makes people convicted of repeated violent crimes eligible for reduced prison terms.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said last year’s decision that threw out part of the Armed Career Criminal Act applies retroactively to defendants whose convictions are final.
The justices only heard arguments in the case in March. But they may have felt a need to rush their decision because some inmates face a June deadline under federal law for challenging the longer sentences.
Justice Clarence Thomas filed a dissent.
The provision of the recidivist law in question included a catchall phrase that defined what crimes make a defendant eligible for a longer prison term.
The justices said last year that phrase was too vague.
- Posted April 21, 2016
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Justices extend ruling on repeat offenders' prison terms
headlines Macomb
- Lawyer publishes first of three children’s books
- MDHHS to issue maternal health quality payments to hospitals
- Charges amended on two Warren police officers
- No charges yet in weekend crash that killed two siblings at Michigan birthday party
- Justice Dept. launches updated voting rights and elections website
headlines National
- New Legalese: You may have heard a deepfake, but what about ‘Twiqbal’?
- From Intake to Outcome: An in-house lawyer’s guide to matter management solutions
- 2 BigLaw firms in merger talks that could produce 1,600-lawyer firm with top 50 revenue
- Send in the paralegals
- Lawyer reprimanded after mistakenly emailing opposing counsel with plan to avoid judge’s call
- ‘I don’t play well’ judge who threatened to track down, jail misbehaving litigant gets tossed from case