Date of Award

Spring 2016

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Public Policy and Law

First Advisor

Professor Adrienne Fulco

Second Advisor

Professor Rachel Moskowitz

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Supreme Court has issued decisions in numerous cases (Roper v. Simmons, Graham v. Florida, Miller v. Alabama, and Montgomery v. Louisiana) involving juvenile sentencing that have radically transformed our juvenile criminal justice system. While some of these cases did involve juveniles convicted of felony murder, the Supreme Court never directly addressed how to handle juvenile sentencing in felony murder cases. This leaves a gap in society’s understanding of juvenile felony murder sentencing that must be addressed. Otherwise, many juveniles that never intended, attempted, or wished that a life be taken might spend the rest of their lives in prison, without ever being given the possibility of a second chance. This paper proposes using the Enmund standard for determining which juveniles exhibit the requisite culpability to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in prison.

Comments

Senior thesis completed at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Law.

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