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Nebraska hearing spotlights bill to reduce adult-style penalties for juveniles charged as adults
Summary
Sen. Ashley Spivey urged the Judiciary Committee to advance LB584, a bill that would lower sentencing ranges for youths charged as adults so fewer receive effectively life-long terms; supporters cited brain science and low recidivism among resentenced juvenile lifers while county attorneys warned of inconsistent sentencing and victims' interests.
Lincoln — Sen. Ashley Spivey (D–District 13) told the Judiciary Committee on March 12 that LB584 would moderate criminal penalties for children charged as adults, arguing the change would stop juveniles from receiving de facto life sentences and align Nebraska law with constitutional and scientific precedent.
Spivey said the bill narrows sentencing ranges for serious felonies when the defendant was under 18 at the time of the offense, and she read an email from an incarcerated person who said the proposed limits could give juveniles a chance at rehabilitation. "We don't need to throw them away," Spivey said.
Supporters said the bill responds to Miller v. Alabama (2012), in which the U.S. Supreme Court held mandatory life without parole for juveniles unconstitutional, and to later state and national reforms that…
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