Miller (defendant, appellant, petitioner) and Alabama (plaintiff, appellee, respondent).
Jackson (defendant, appellant, petitioner) and Hobbs (plaintiff, appellee, respondent).
Facts.
After an evening of drinking and drug use, fourteen year old, Evan Miller, along with Colby Smith attacked Cole Cannon with a baseball bat and burned Cannon's trailer while Cannon was still inside. As a result, Cannon died. Initially, Miller's was charged as a juvenile, but his case was removed to adult court, where he was charged with murder in the course of arson. In the companion case, fourteen years olds Kuntrell Jackson, Derrick Shields, and Travis Booker accompanied each other to rob a local movie store in Blytheville, Arkansas. While walking to the store, Jackson discovered that Shields was hiding a shotgun in his coat. Jackson stood outside for most of the robbery, but when he entered Shields shot and killed the store clerk and the three boys fled the scene. Therefore, Arkansas charged Jackson as an adult with capital felony murder and aggravated robbery. .
Procedural History.
This is a criminal case. Miller was charged with murder in the course of arson in the trial court. Therefore, Miller appealed to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals; however, the court upheld Miller conviction. Thus, Miller requested a review in the U.S. Supreme Court on a writ of certiorari. This is a criminal case. Jackson was charged with capital felony murder and aggravated robbery in the trial court. As a result, Jackson appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court by filing a state habeas petition. However, the court granted the State's motion to dismiss. Therefore, Jackson requested a review in the U.S. Supreme Court on a writ of certiorari.
Petitioner's Legal Argument.
The petitioners claim that a mandatory life-without-parole term for a fourteen year old convicted of homicide violates the Eighth Amendment under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.