State of Arizona v. Hon. cooper/bassett

Summary

The court held that Bassett’s natural-life sentence for a murder committed at age sixteen was not mandatory under the Eighth Amendment because the sentencing court had discretion to impose a lesser sentence and considered his youth and attendant characteristics. The court also held that Bassett was not entitled to an evidentiary hearing because the governing constitutional rule requires consideration of youth, not a separate finding of permanent incorrigibility or an opportunity to prove transient immaturity. The court reversed the PCR court’s order, vacated the evidentiary-hearing ruling, and dismissed the PCR petition.