Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Lonnie Allen Bassett v. Arizona
Paid petition · Supreme Court of Arizona, No. CR-22-0227-PR · judgment September 18, 2023
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
This Court has repeatedly affirmed that the Constitution “prohibits mandatory life-without-parole sentences for murderers under 18.” Jones v. Mississippi, 141 S. Ct. 1307, 1312 (2021); see Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460, 470 (2012); Montgomery v. Louisiana, 577 U.S. 190, 195, 206 (2016). Juvenile homicide offenders “may be sentenced to life without parole, but only if the sentence is not mandatory and the sentencer therefore has discretion to impose a lesser punishment” than life without parole. Jones, 141 S. Ct. at 1311 (emphases added). Because Arizona abolished parole in 1994, Miller counted Arizona as one of “29 jurisdictions mandating life without parole for children” in violation of the Eighth Amendment. 567 U.S. at 482, 486-487 & nn.9, 13, 15. Both this Court and the Arizona Supreme Court have repeatedly “confirmed that parole was unavailable” under Arizona law. Lynch v. Arizona, 578 U.S. 613, 616 (2016) (per curiam). In the decision below, the Arizona Supreme Court nevertheless concluded that Miller, Montgomery, and Jones do not forbid Arizona courts from imposing mandatory sentences of life without parole. The question presented is: Whether the Eighth Amendment permits a juvenile to be sentenced to life without parole under a system that did not afford the sentencing court discretion to choose any other option. (i)
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Neal Kumar Katyal
Hogan Lovells US LLP
For respondent
Alexander Westbrook Samuels
Arizona Attorney General's Office
Argument & decision
Decided July 2, 2024.
Proceedings
- Jul 02 2024Petition DENIED. Justice Sotomayor, with whom Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson join, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion)
- Jun 28 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 7/1/2024.
- Jun 17 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/20/2024.
- Jun 17 2024Rescheduled.
- Jun 10 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/13/2024.
- Jun 10 2024Rescheduled.
- Jun 07 2024Letter of petitioner filed.
- Jun 04 2024Rescheduled.
- May 21 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/6/2024.
- May 21 2024Reply of petitioner Lonnie Bassett filed. (Distributed)
- May 17 2024Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioner.
- May 08 2024Brief of respondent Arizona in opposition filed.
- Mar 18 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 8, 2024.
- Mar 15 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 8, 2024 to May 8, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
- Mar 07 2024Response Requested. (Due April 8, 2024)
- Mar 06 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/22/2024.
- Mar 04 2024Brief amici curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, et al. filed.
- Mar 04 2024Brief amici curiae of 15 Constitutional and Criminal Law Professors filed.
- Mar 04 2024Brief amicus curiae of Office of the Maricopa County Public Defender filed.
- Feb 29 2024Waiver of right of respondent Arizona to respond filed.
- Jan 31 2024Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 4, 2024)
- Nov 29 2023Application (23A475) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until January 31, 2024.
- Nov 22 2023Application (23A475) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 17, 2023 to January 31, 2024, submitted to Justice Kagan.