There was a mixed reaction in 2003 when Evan Miller, at the age of 14, committed a horrible crime in Alabama. At such a tender age, Evan was able to brutally kill his neighbour by beating him with a baseball and then setting his mobile home ablaze. But it is amusing Evan, before lowering the last blow on the poor man’s head, shouts claiming to be God, coming down to take Cole Cannon’s life. During the trial, Miller was sentenced to imprisonment as if he was an adult even though he was just a child. Now, his case is to be heard again, and the Supreme Court expects him to testify, after which, the jury will decide on the best way forward (al.com, 2019). But the state of affairs, regarding the kind of people pushing for his resentence, will leave us worried whether his testimony will do him any good.
In 2006, Miller got accused of murder and got sentenced to life imprisonment without any possibility of getting parole. Currently, he is serving his jail term at St. Clair County Correctional Facility. On the other hand, his friend and inmate sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the Supreme Court has ordered for Miller’s resentencing hearing where he will consider the “child’s heightened capacity for change and diminished culpability. According to the Supreme Court, it’s unconstitutional for juveniles to get sentenced into life imprisonment without parole. Candy Cheatham, Cannon’s daughter, is pushing for the re-sentencing of Miller. Candy and her brothers’ want Evan sentenced to life imprisonment without any possibility of being liberated.
But hearing Evan Millers case for the second time indicates the possibility of many other inmates who committed murder crimes when they were still juveniles getting released. When hearing the case, the jury will only have to choose between two alternatives; granting Miller a new life sentence where he will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years or allow him another life sentence without any possibility of parole (al.com, 2019). However given the kind of testimony that Cheatham was offering, it’s quite clear that Miller will have a difficult time testifying against the charges.
In conclusion, we can well argue that the law is very considerate, and the criminals get sentenced according to what they do and the situation surrounding the crime. If one commits a crime when he is a child, the law will demand that he get sentenced as a child, rather than seeing him as a child who is too bold to commit an adult crime. If one is to get convicted, the jury is expected to hear from both sides, to establish the cause of the matter rather than focusing on the magnitude of the crime committed.
Work cited
https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/03/evan_miller_the_alabama_inmate.html