Posted in Escambia County

Life in prison for Pensacola minor

   October 5, 2009

The Wall Street Journal reports today on the US Supreme Court hearing on Nov. 9 arguments about the sentence of life in prison without parole when imposed on juvenile. One of the two cases involves Joe Sullivan, who was convicted 20 years ago of breaking into a Pensacola home, stealing jewelry and coins, and raping the 72-year-old woman who lived there. According to the WSJ, “Coming after 17 prior offenses that included assault, burglary and animal cruelty, a judge found that rehabilitation was hopeless. He sentenced Mr. Sullivan to life imprisonment, which in Florida carries no possibility of parole.

Sullivan’s attorneys will argue before the Supreme Court that Sullivan’s age alone makes the sentence “cruel and unusual” and therefore unconstitutional.

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