A final roadblock to a chance at freedom for Illinois’ juvenile lifers is now gone.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled back in March that anyone sentenced to mandatory life without parole as a juvenile should be re-sentenced. The Illinois Attorney General and Cook County State’s Attorney appealed the decision, but today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take it up.
Patricia Soung is the attorney for Adolfo Davis, who was sentenced to life in prison when he was 16 years old. She says she expected the appeal to fail.
"It was a long shot on their end and a relief to us to know that we can proceed to sentencing."
Soung says the decision will impact about 80 people. Each has to go to the criminal court where he was sentenced for a new hearing.
Soung expects to spend the next few months preparing for Davis’ resentencing.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office declined to comment for this story.