Thursday, May 15, 2014
Seeking Justice for Victims and their Families
Yesterday, Senate Bill 2008, An Act relative to juvenile
life with parole, received a public hearing before the Joint Committee on the
Judiciary. The bill, which I filed and that
has both bicameral and bipartisan support of 32 additional co-sponsors,
requires juveniles convicted of first degree murder to serve a minimum of 35
years before becoming eligible for parole.
With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Alabama v.
Miller (2012) and Massachusetts Supreme Court rulings in Diatchenko v. District
Attorney and Commonwealth v. Brown (2013), the Massachusetts Courts can no
longer sentence juveniles convicted of first degree murder with life without
parole, reasoning that such a sentence is cruel and unusual punishment.
The retroactive rulings now require parole eligibility for
those juveniles convicted of first degree murder at 15-25 years after the
conviction, which is the same for an individual who has been convicted of
second degree murder. Senate bill 2008
would make parole eligible to juveniles serving life sentences at 35 years
after conviction and ensure that the parole board considers factors recognized
by the Courts as necessary to safeguard a proportional sentence.
Prior to yesterday’s Judiciary hearing, the families of Beth
Brodie, Janet Downing, Amy Carnevale, Lewis Jennings, and Bonnie Sue Mitchell
stood with me in support of the measure.
To view some of the news coverage from yesterday, please play the posted
videos below. Also, to read today’s
Boston.com report please click here.
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston
