Iowa Supreme Court rules against mandatory sentences

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in Iowa v. Lyle that mandatory sentences for children are unconstitutional under the Iowa Constitution.

The Court relied on the reasoning in Miller v. Alabama and Graham v. Florida to hold that a child facing a prison term is entitled to an individualized sentencing hearing during  which the factors listed in Miller are considered, including their age, maturity, role in the crime, and potential for rehabilitation.  This means a sentence cannot just be mandatorily imposed upon them without consideration of the unique factors of childhood.