Evan Miller Court Case

Evan Miller was 14 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder. Miller and his friend went to his neighbor’s trailer, Cole Cannon, while he was not there to look for drugs, they didn’t find any but they stole Cannon’s baseball cards and went back home. Later on Miller returned to Cannon’s trailer, Miller found him unconscious due to drugs and alcohol so he decided to steal his wallet. While Miller was grabbing the wallet, Cannon became conscious and attacked Miller. Miller then punched and beat Cannon with a bat. Afterwards Miller set the trailer on fire while Cannon was still in there alive. When Miller went on trial his lawyer argued that Millers sentence to life in prison without parole violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment, he also argued that this sentence was cruel and unusual punishment. The American Psychological Association supported Miller and argued that the part of a youth’s brain that is responsible for judgment and impulse control does not communicate in balance as an adult’s brain
Miller argued that this decision violated the Eight and Fourteenth Amendment and was cruel and unusual punishment but the final decision did not change. Miller also argued that his sentenced should not have been the same as an adult’s because a 14 year old boy’s undeveloped brain did not allow him to have much control over his behavior. I agree with Miller because I believe that a 14 year old is unable to really understand the consequences of his decisions. When Miller went to his neighbor’s trailer the first time he was looking for drugs, I believe that the environment he was living in should have been taken into consideration when he went on trial. Therefore, in my opinion sentencing a 14 year old to life in prison without parole is cruel and unusual punishment and does violate the Eight and Fourteenth