FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
January 25, 2016
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
ATTORNEY GENERAL STRANGE BLASTS U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION
EFFECTIVELY FORCING THOUSANDS OF MURDER VICTIMS’ FAMILIES TO ENDURE
RESENTENCING OF CONVICTED MURDERERS ALREADY SERVING
LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE
(MONTGOMERY) – Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange blasted a U.S. Supreme Court
decision Monday to allow potentially thousands of convicted murderers across the country,
currently serving life without parole, to receive new sentences because they were juveniles at
the time they committed their crimes.
The Court’s decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana made retroactive a 2012 decision, Miller v.
Alabama, in which it held that life-without-parole sentences cannot be mandatory for juvenile
murderers. The Court’s ruling will have a devastating effect on the families of murder victims
who thought they received closure in murder cases often going back decades.
“Due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, murder victims’ families may be put through the
ordeal of seeing the person responsible for the death of their loved one years ago being allowed
to receive a new sentence,” said Attorney General Strange.
“These are persons convicted of murder who have already exhausted all their appeals and are
currently serving a sentence of life without parole. This is the latest in a series of truly
irresponsible rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court which collectively undermine the rule of law
and directly attack the rights of murder victims.
“In Alabama alone there are at least 70 convicted murderers serving life-without-parole
sentences who could be granted the chance for a new sentence and possibly parole. I will stand
with murder victims and their families and work with local district attorneys to ensure that
these murderers serve out their sentences.”
In August 2015, the State of Alabama joined Michigan, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas,
Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota,
Texas, Utah and Wyoming in filing an amicus brief in support of Louisiana in the case.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
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