Lawyers

In this case, the ACLU urged the Washington Supreme Court to allow juveniles and young adults to challenge the draconian adult sentences imposed on them, because youth has been recognized as a mitigating factor in sentencing.

The ACLU of Washington filed an amicus brief in this case arguing that Mr. Belcher’s continued indefinite civil commitment for sex offenses committed as a juvenile violate his due process rights.

We argue however, that in this case, the violent incident recorded falls within a bodily threat exception to the Act and that the recording could be used as evidence.

We filed an amicus brief with other amici with the Washington Supreme Court arguing that the widely recognized “mitigating factors of youth” should allow for concurrent sentences rather than the consecutive ones required by adult sentencing standards.