People of Michigan v. Montez Stovall

Summary

The Michigan Supreme Court held that a juvenile's parolable-life sentence for second-degree murder violates the Michigan Constitution's prohibition against cruel or unusual punishment. The court rejected the defendant's claim that his guilty plea was illusory and held that his federal constitutional challenge failed because the sentence was parole-eligible. Applying Michigan's four-factor proportionality test, the court concluded that the sentence was constitutionally disproportionate and remanded for further proceedings.