Kavanaugh Ruling on Juvenile Life Terms Underscores Court Divide

The Supreme Court made it more likely that people who committed homicides as minors will die in prison, after ruling that judges aren’t required to find them “permanently incorrigible” before imposing life-without-parole-sentences.

Thursday’s ruling spotlighted the stark ideological divide on the 6-3 court, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh writing for the Republican-appointed majority over dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the Democratic appointees that accused the majority of gutting precedent.

The decision highlights the longstanding split on the court when it comes to Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment cases. It’s the same divide evident in death penalty cases, where the ...