People v. Stovall
Michigan Supreme Court
510 Mich. 301, 987 N.W.2d 85 (2022)
- Written by Jamie Milne, JD
Facts
Michigan juvenile Montez Stovall (defendant) shot and killed two men in 1991. He entered a plea agreement under which he pled guilty to two counts of second-degree murder with a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole (parolable life sentence). In subsequent years, Stovall filed multiple motions seeking to withdraw his plea or receive relief from judgment. However, those motions were unsuccessful. In 2017, Stovall filed a new motion for relief from judgment, arguing that his sentence effectively precluded any meaningful opportunity for relief and, as such, violated the Eighth Amendment of the federal Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The trial court denied the motion, concluding that although the parole board was following stricter release procedures than when Stovall entered his plea, Stovall nevertheless had a possibility of being released. The state appeals court affirmed, and Stovall appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (McCormack, C.J.)
Dissent (Zahra, J.)
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