Parker v. Mississippi

Fifteen-year old Lester Lavon Parker, Jr. was convicted for the murder of his grandfather James Shelton. He appealed his sentence to serve the remainder of his "natural life." The issues on appeal to the Supreme Court were: whether the trial court erred in admitting certain photographs at trial; whether the conviction was against the overwhelming weight of the evidence; and whether the sentence violated the Eighth Amendment. The Court affirmed Parker's conviction but vacated his sentence and remanded the case to the trial court to determine whether Parker should have been sentenced to "life imprisonment" or "life imprisonment with eligibility for parole." View "Parker v. Mississippi" on Justia Law