Eastern Alumnus Bryan Stevenson (’81) Wins Supreme Court Case
Only a very small percentage of attorneys have ever had the distinction of arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only has 1981 Eastern University graduate Bryan Stevenson done so, but he’s won. And as a result of his efforts, hundreds who’ve been incarcerated for crimes they committed as children will now at least have the opportunity to get out of prison before they die.
The Case
Bryan successfully argued two related cases—Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs—resulting in the High Court’s historic ruling on June 25 that mandatory sentences of life in prison without parole for juveniles are unconstitutional. Those affected by the ruling will now have the opportunity to pursue new sentencing hearings at which judges will take into account not just the crime, but various additional considerations, such as the age and life circumstances of the child as well as mitigating factors surrounding the crime. The ruling effectively strikes down statutes in 29 states that mandated life-without-parole sentences for child convicts.
"Every person is more than the worst thing they've ever done," Stevenson argued before the Court. "But children are uniquely more than their worst act. They have quintessential qualities and characteristics that a decent society, a maturing society, an evolved society, we believe, is constitutionally obligated to recognize and protect.
Stevenson called the decision “an important win for children,” one that recognizes that young people should not be treated the same as adults. He stressed that those who have been convicted of violent crimes will still need to show that they have rehabilitated themselves and are appropriate candidates for release. The Supreme Court ruling gives them that chance.
In a column commenting on the decision, Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman referred to Bryan as “the brilliant founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.” A nonprofit organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, the Equal Justice Initiative provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system. The organization also prepares reports, newsletters and manuals to assist advocates and policymakers in the work of reforming the administration of criminal justice.
About Bryan Stevenson
After graduating from Eastern, a Christian University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bryan went on to earn degrees from Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government. A member of the faculty at the New York University School of Law, he has garnered numerous accolades over the years. He’s won the American Bar Association's Wisdom Award for public service, the ACLU's National Medal of Liberty, the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award, the Reebok Human Rights Award, the Thurgood Marshall Medal of Justice, and the Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award. Bryan is also the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama.
Bryan is a co-recipient of the 2009 Gruber Prize for Justice, a prize presented to individuals or organizations for contributions advancing the cause of justice in the legal system. In 2010, Bryan received the NAACP’s William Robert Ming Advocacy Award for the spirit of financial and personal sacrifice displayed in his legal work. He has had both television appearances and written interviews with Bill Moyers. Additionally, Bryan has been featured on CNN and on the PBS series Religion & Ethics Newsweekly.
About Eastern University
Eastern University upholds justice as one of its core values. Rooted in the slogan “Faith, Reason, and Justice,” Eastern is a Christian university that enrolls about 4,400 students in its undergraduate, graduate, Seminary, international, urban and professional degree programs. For more information, visit www.eastern.edu.
