Guy Lucero, Petitioner v. the People of the State of Colorado, Respondent

Summary

The court held that the Eighth Amendment decisions addressing juvenile life-without-parole sentences do not apply to an aggregate term-of-years sentence imposed for multiple offenses, even when the aggregate sentence is lengthy. It also held that the court of appeals properly treated Lucero’s constitutional sentencing challenge as a post-conviction claim under Rule 35(c), despite his filing having been styled under Rule 35(b). The court therefore affirmed. Justice Gabriel, concurring in the judgment, would have applied the relevant juvenile-sentencing principles to de facto life-without-parole sentences but agreed that Lucero’s sentence did not qualify.