Michigan Supreme Court
People of Michigan v. Kemo Knicombi Parks
July 28, 2022
Summary
The Michigan Supreme Court held that mandatory life without parole for an 18-year-old convicted of first-degree murder violates the Michigan Constitution because it imposes a disproportionate and cruel punishment without considering the mitigating characteristics of late-adolescent youth. The court held that 18-year-old defendants must receive the individualized sentencing protections available under MCL 769.25 before life without parole may be imposed. The court vacated Parks’s automatic sentence, remanded for resentencing, and otherwise denied leave to appeal.