State v. Williams-Bey, 326 Conn. 920

The defendant‘s petitions for certification for appeal from the Appellate Court, 167 Conn.App. 744, 164 ‍​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‍A.3d 9 (2016), and 173 Conn.App. 64, 164 A.3d 31 (2017), is granted, limited to the following questions:

“1. Under the Connecticut constitution, article first, §§ 8 and 9, are all ‍​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‍juveniles entitled to a sentencing proceeding at which the court expressly considers the youth related factors required by the United States constitution for cases involving ‍​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‍juveniles who have been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release? See Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 (2012) ?

“2. ‍​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‍If the answer to the first question is in the affirmative and a sentencing court does not comply with the sentencing requirements under the Connecticut ‍​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‍constitution, does parole eligibility under General Statutes § 54-125a (f) adequately remedy any state constitutional violation?”

Case Details

Case Name: State v. Williams-Bey

Court Name: Supreme Court of Connecticut

Date Published: Jul 10, 2017

Citations: 326 Conn. 920; 169 A.3d 793; 2017 Conn. LEXIS 230

Court Abbreviation: Conn.