Michigan has more youth behind bars than almost any other state in the U.S.
In 2012, The United States Supreme Court ruled that handing down a life sentence to minor, no matter how serious their crime, was unconstitutional. Then, four years later in 2016, SCOTUS revisited the issue, and ruled that all ‘juvenile lifers’ – minors who’ve been given life sentences for the crimes they were convicted of – be retried.
Any minors serving life sentences around the country, should be given a second chance to be sentenced. Hopefully some of them would receive shorter sentences, and have a chance to live some portion of their adult lives beyond the walls of a prison cell.
Michigan has more juvenile lifers than most other states!
With over 360 “juvenile lifers” behind bars at the time of the ruling, Michigan had the second highest number of incarcerated youth facing life sentences. Given the fact that the ruling came from the highest court in our nation, you’d expect a significant number of those youth to be heading for freedom in the coming years. Or would you? It all depends on how well you understand Michigan’s justice system.
Less than half of Michigan’s juvenile lifers have been resentenced
In the state’s defense, a resentencing isn’t quick. It can take months to properly prepare for an important event like a re-sentencing , to gather the necessary information and research the histories. To review every document gathered and prepared by law enforcement during the course of the investigation. It is a LOT of work, and so it takes time. Expecting all 360 juvenile lifers to be sitting in courtrooms within the year, is a little unrealistic.
You’re probably wondering though, how many of Michigan’s juvenile lifers have had that chance so far? Sadly, the answer is very few. By the end of 2016, only 24 had been resentenced, and of those, only one walked free – John Hall who had been convicted of murder at the age of 17, and had already served 50 years behind bars.
The process has been a very slow one for Michigan
By the end of 2017, only 67 more cases had been resentenced. And as for releases, the total had only reached 4. Some have argued that the reason Michigan is taking so long to deal with it’s juvenile lifers, is because we have more than most, so it will take us longer than most. But not everyone agrees with that stance. Deborah LaBelle, a civil rights attorney from Detroit, is outspoken about Michigan’s Justice system, which she says is intentionally refusing to comply with the SCOTUS ruling.
“First, Michigan took the strongest position in the country against children having a second chance, and now Michigan prosecutors are defying the Supreme Court’s holding that all children are entitled to a meaningful and realistic opportunity for release. They are resisting the explicit ruling of the Supreme Court that this sentence can only be imposed on the rarest of children who commit a homicide and is irreparably corrupted.”
The best way to avoid a life sentence as a juvenile
It remains to be seen how well this turns out for Michigan’s juvenile lifers, and if LaBelle is correct, we should keep our expectations low. But as we’ve explained before, the best way to avoid ending up behind bars for life, whether you’re a minor or an adult, is to have a great attorney on your side!
At The Kronzek Firm we aggressively pursue the best outcome for every client, and defend the rights of our clients as if they were our own! Our criminal defense team is known state wide for being touch fighters for our clients. So if you or a loved one have been accused of a serious crime in Michigan, and are facing decades, if not a lifetime in prison, call 1 866-7NoJail (1866 766 5245) immediately. Our skilled and experienced criminal defense warriors are available around the clock to help you!