In a follow-up to yesterday's post regarding a Broward man who had previously been sentenced to life in prison, a Broward judge has decided to resentence the man to 40 years in prison instead.
After a new sentencing hearing based on a recent Supreme Court decision that requires judges to consider the immaturity and inability for juveniles to appreciate the consequences of criminal acts, a Broward man who was 17 at the time he allegedly committed second degree murder will get another chance at freedom.
Having been previously sentenced to life, his sentence will be commuted to 40 years. While he will still spend a great deal of his life behind bars, this new ruling by the Supreme Court will allow him to one day be released.
Prior to this ruling, courts were not required to consider such factors when sentencing juveniles to life in prison.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward.