Split Justices Toughen Sentencing Challenges for Juveniles (1)

The Supreme Court made it tougher for people who were sentenced to life-without-parole for crimes committed as juveniles to break free from their prison terms.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the Thursday ruling for the six-justice Republican appointed majority over dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the three Democratic appointees that said the majority “guts” precedent in the process.

Though criminal cases can scramble traditional ideological lines, the decision highlights the longstanding divide on the court when it comes to Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment cases. That divide is also evident in death penalty cases where the court’s 5-4 gap ...