Harmelin v. Michigan
- Decided
- June 27, 1991
- Docket
- 89-7272
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 4,521 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- recognizing that Court “lack[ed] clear objec- tive standards to distinguish between sentences for differ- ent terms of years” — State v. Ryan (2017)
- holding that a mandatory life sentence for cocaine possession is “not unusual in the constitutional sense” — United States v. Wimbley (2009)
- holding that sentence of life imprisonment for possession of 650 grams of cocaine did not contravene the Eighth Amendment — Commonwealth v. Baker (2013)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
[*961] Justice Scalia announced the judgment of the Court and delivered the opinion of the Court with respect to Part IV, and an opinion with respect to Parts I, II, and III, in which The Chief Justice joins.
Petitioner was convicted of possessing 672 grams of cocaine and sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison without possibility of parole.[1] The Michigan Court of Appeals initially reversed his conviction because evidence supporting it had been obtained in violation of the Michigan Constitution. 176 Mich. App. 524, 440 N. W. 2d 75 (1989). On petition for rehearing, the Court of Appeals vacated its prior decision and affirmed petitioner’s sentence, rejecting his argument that the sentence was “cruel and unusual” within the meaning of the Eighth Amendment. Id., at 535, 440 N. W. 2d, at 80. The Michigan Supreme Court denied leave to appeal, 434 Mich. 863 (1990), and we granted certiorari. 495 U. S. 956 (1990).
Petitioner claims that his sentence is unconstitutionally “cruel and unusual” for two reasons: first, because it is “significantly disproportionate” to the crime he committed; second, because the sentencing judge was statutorily required to [*962] impose it, without taking into account the particularized circumstances of the crime and of the criminal.
Statutes cited
Cite this
Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957 (1991)Read the full opinion
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