Pittman v. South Carolina

Juvenile Law Center filed an amicus brief in support of Pittman’s petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of the South Carolina court’s imposition of a 30-year sentence without the possibility of parole on a 12-year-old child convicted of homicide. Pittman argued that the sentence violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments and that such a sentence is grossly disproportionate to the offense given the offender’s age.

Juvenile Law Center’s brief supported Petitioner’s argument that the imposition of such a lengthy mandatory sentence on a 12-year-old child is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency based upon indicia of a national consensus. Juvenile Law Center’s brief also supported and expanded upon Petitioner’s argument that imposing this sentence on a 12-year-old child serves no valid retributive or deterrent purpose and runs the risk of incapacitating the child longer than necessary to promote public safety.

On April 14, 2008, the petition for writ of certiorari was denied.