Mandatory life in prison for 2nd-degree murder is unconstitutional, Pa. Supreme Court rules

A sign on a door at the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is pictured at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Feb. 21, 2023.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Thursday that mandatory life in prison without parole for those convicted of second-degree, or felony, murder is unconstitutional.

In a 72-page opinion, Chief Justice Debra Todd, writing for the majority, said such an automatic sentence is “inconsistent” with the protection guaranteed under the state constitution against cruel punishment.

Read the full article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.