People v. Taylor (Mich. 2025)

On April 10, 2025, the Supreme Court of Michigan extended its 2022 decision in People v. Parks, which declared mandatory life without parole (LWOP) for 18-year-olds unconstitutional, to also apply to 19- and 20-year-olds. Relying on the state’s constitutional prohibition against “cruel or unusual punishment,” the Court found that mandatory LWOP for 19- and 20-years olds is disproportionate given the scientific consensus that “the late-adolescent brain carries exceptional neuroplasticity during this crucial stage of cognitive development, which has ‘significant consequences for young adults’ behavior.’” Noting that this stage of development “blurs the already thin societal line between childhood and young adulthood,” the Court held that sentencing a young adult to mandatory LWOP without first considering their late adolescent brain development no longer aligns with the “evolving standards of decency that mark that progress of a maturing society.” This decision marks a trend of courts recognizing the legal significance of late adolescent brain development and extending heightened legal protections based on the developmental realities of youth and young adults.