Tennessee's Supreme Court ruled Friday that a state law mandating life sentences for juvenile homicide offenders is unconstitutional, saying it amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment" and violates the Eighth Amendment.
In a sweeping 21-page opinion, the justices declared Tennessee a “clear outlier” as the only U.S. state to require that juvenile homicide offenders serve more than 50 years in prison before they can be considered for parole. In most other states, they are eligible for release in less than 35 years.
