SENTENCED WITHOUT PAROLE CHANCES -According to the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights -- Louisiana sentences more children to life behind bars without a chance for parole, per capita, than any other state. But in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the practice of sentencing children to die in prison unconstitutional in all but the rarest cases. Louisiana's ACT 277 allowed prosecutors to seek life without parole in new first-degree murder cases going forward, and in all old cases (both first and second degree) that predate the Supreme Court rulings. Prosecutors were given until Oct. 30 to file a notice of intent to seek life without parole again in those old cases. If they did not, sentences were automatically converted to life with the possibility of parole after 25 years. If notices were filed, there will need to be a resentencing hearing before a judge to determine if a person is truly the “worst of the worst” and deserves life without parole. Jill Pasquarella is an attorney with the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights she spoke with public radio WRKF in Baton Rouge. "Prosecutors are seeking the sentence in too many cases. When the U.S. Supreme Court has said that the sentence is appropriate only for the 'rare and uncommon child,' the child who is 'permanently incorrigible' — it's hard to believe that 44 percent is 'rare and uncommon."
When it comes to re-sentencing juveniles, Pasquarella says there are noticeable differences throughout Louisiana. "For example, West Baton Rouge seeking new life-without-parole sentences against all of the children that were eligible in their district — four of four. In Lafourche Parish, they didn't seek life-without parole for any of the children. We have not come into compliance with the Supreme Court ruling." According to Pasquarella... Caddo Parish had the largest number of potential cases, but only sought a re-sentencing hearing in just one. In East Baton Rouge Parish, re-sentencing is sought in 37 percent of eligible cases; 39 percent in Orleans; and in 43 percent of cases in Jefferson Parish. The Louisiana Center for Children's Rights states that while these children must be held accountable for their actions, they must also have the opportunity to redeem themselves as adults.
Copyright 2017 Red River Radio
