La. House, Senate Back Bills Giving Juvenile Lifers Parole Shot
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawmakers in the House and Senate have voted to give people convicted of murder as teenagers a chance for parole after serving 35 years.
The House voted 75-19 Wednesday for its version. The Senate has backed a similar bill. One proposal will have to make it through both chambers to win final passage.
The proposal comes in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The high court struck down automatic life sentences without possibility of parole for crimes committed by someone under the age of 18.
Bill supporters say they want to bring Louisiana in compliance and set parameters for parole consideration, rather than letting a court set the terms.
Some lawmakers criticize the 35-year span as too long, while others say it's too short.
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House Bill 264: www.legis.la.gov
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