Young adult life without parole
Missouri, ex rel. Zachary A. Smith v. Morriss
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- Zachary Smith asks the Supreme Court to review whether mandatory life-without-parole sentences for 18-to-20-year-olds convicted of first-degree murder violate the Eighth Amendment, given an asserted national consensus against them.
- What's at stake
- Smith's challenge to mandatory life without parole remains unresolved.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The case comes from the Supreme Court of Missouri, whose ruling Smith asks the justices to review.
Question presented
WHETHER THERE IS A NATIONAL CONSENSUS AGAINST MANDATORY LWOP SENTENCES FOR EMERGING ADULTS (18-20) CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, IN VIOLATION OF THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION?
What happens next
The next step is for the Court to decide whether to hear the case. No argument is scheduled.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Brief added: Petition
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.