In a series of recent
cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has significantly narrowed the extent to which
juveniles may be subject to extreme sentences. With this line of cases—the
Miller trilogy—the Court adopted new methods of Eighth Amendment analysis, set
in motion significant reform at the state level, and introduced a host of
implementation questions. This panel explores the current questions arising
from the intersection of three areas at the heart of the Miller trilogy—the Eighth
Amendment, juvenile justice, and mass incarceration. Some of those questions
are of a technical nature. For example, does the Court's categorical approach
to proportionality analysis signal further expansion of that doctrine as it
applies to other vulnerable individuals? And how should states respond to the
Court's mandate that juveniles have a "meaningful opportunity to obtain
release"? This panel also seeks to ask some more theoretical and abstract
questions prompted by the Miller trilogy. For example, what implications might
the Miller trilogy have for the concept of finality? Finally, the panel will
address the implications of the Miller trilogy for juvenile defense counsel and
best practice standards in juvenile representation.
Business
meeting at program conclusion.