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Cases

Key state court decisions on state antipunishment clauses, rights against excessive punishments, and related state constitutional limits on criminal legal systems. Sort by state, category, and case tags, or search for key terms.

45 results
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Fletcher v. State of Alaska

Miller v. Alabama requires on-the-record findings and applies to de facto LWOP
state: AK

Categories: Sentencing

Wells-Yates v. The People

Prospective sentencing reform is relevant to excessive sentence claims
state: CO

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Santiago

Prospective death penalty abolition renders existing death sentences unconstitutional
state: CT

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Belcher

Relying on "superpredator" myth in sentencing violates due process
state: CT

Categories: Sentencing

In re Lynch

Life in prison for indecent exposure is unconstitutionally excessive
state: CA

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Dillon

Felony murder youth LWOP violates state constitution
state: CA

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Anderson

Death penalty violates CA state constitution
state: CA

Categories: Sentencing

In re Palmer

Repeated parole denials yield excessive sentences
state: CA

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Carrasquillo

Repeated parole denials yield excessive sentences
state: IL

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Thomas

Repeated parole denials yield de facto LWOP sentence
state: NJ

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Bassett

Bans LWOP for youth under 18
state: WA

Categories: Sentencing

In re Pers. Restraint of Monschke

Bans mandatory LWOP for people under 21
state: WA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Haag

Bans de facto LWOP for youth under 18
state: WA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Anderson

Permits de facto youth LWOP for certain crimes
state: WA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Kelliher

Bans de facto LWOP for youth found "neither incorrigible nor irredeemable"
state: NC

Categories: Sentencing

CSI v. Moore

Restores voting rights to people on probation/parole
state: NC

Categories: Felony Disenfranchisement

State v. Melvin

Bans acquitted conduct sentencing
state: NJ

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Comer/State v. Zarate

Bans 30-year mandatory minimum for youth
state: NJ

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Nataluk

Mental conditions are mitigating
state: NJ

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Keef

Rehabilitation progress is mitigating under Miller v. Alabama
state: MT

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Caronna

Exclusionary rule applies when police fail to knock & announce
state: NJ

Categories: Search & Seizure

Commonwealth v. Edmunds

No "good faith exception" to state constitution warrant requirement
state: PA

Categories: Search & Seizure

People v. Bullock

Bans mandatory LWOP for drug possession
state: MI

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Taylor

Youth LWOP is presumed disproprotionate
state: MI

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Parks

Bans mandatory LWOP for 18 year olds
state: MI

Categories: Sentencing

People v. Stovall

Bans life sentences for youth convicted of 2nd degree murder
state: MI

Categories: Sentencing

Hale v. State

FL "cruel or unusual" clause is broader than 8th Amendment
state: FL

Categories: Sentencing

Dawson v. State

Bans use of electric chair
state: GA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Null

Miller v. Alabama applies to de facto LWOP
state: IA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Pearson

35 years minimum is de facto LWOP
state: IA

Categories: Sentencing

Commonwealth v. Mattis

Bans LWOP up to age 21
state: MA

Categories: Sentencing

Diatchenko v. Dist. Att’y for Suffolk Dist.

Bans youth LWOP
state: MA

Categories: Sentencing

Commonwealth v. O’Neal

Mandatory death penalty violates state constitution
state: MA

Categories: Sentencing

Zab v. Rhode Island Dep’t of Corrections

Strikes down RI "civil death" statute
state: RI

Categories: Conditions

State v. Sum

Racial stereotypes are relevant to "seizure" analysis
state: WA

Categories: Search & Seizure

State v. Malecha

No "good faith exception" to exclusionary rule for court personnel errors
state: MN

Categories: Search & Seizure

People v. Gordon

Warrants to search "premises" do not include cars
state: NY

Categories: Search & Seizure

State v. Lyle

Bans all mandatory minimums for youth
state: IA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Sweet

Bans all youth LWOP
state: IA

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Mata

Bans use of electric chair
state: NE

Categories: Death Penalty

State v. Bartol

Death penalty reforms rendered existing death sentence unconstitutional
state: OR

Categories: Death Penalty

State v. Ryan

Intellectual disability is relevant to proportionality review
state: OR

Categories: Sentencing

State v. Davidson

Strikes down "habitual offender" sentence
state: OR

Categories: Sentencing

State of Alaska v. McKelvey

Aeiral surveillance requires search warrant
state: AK

Categories: Search & Seizure

State v. Fain

Life in prison "habitual offender" sentence for stealing $460 is unconstitutional
state: WA

Categories: Sentencing