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Hoyarugby t1_j9uqpxl wrote

Reply to comment by OnionLegend in Family of elderly man beaten to death with traffic cone blindsided by teen suspect posting bail: 'I lost it' by JBizznass

PA law requires that all charges that do not include life without parole as a punishment allow bail. PA law does not allow sentencing minors to life without parole. Thus, they are legally required to set a bail requirement that can be then posted

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timesyours t1_j9whktd wrote

Semantics, but PA does allow life without parole for juvenile murderers, it just can’t be a mandatory sentence. (This is federal constitutional law ever since the 2012 SCOTUS decision Miller v Alabama).

If 15 to 18 years old at time of murder - life without parole OR 35 years to life (i.e. chance of parole after 35 years)

If 14 years old or younger at time of murder - life without parole OR 25 years to life.

PA had to change these statutes after Miller to add the 25+/35+ options to replace mandatory LWOP.

(This is all in 18 Pa Section 1102.1(a).)

The statute also has a list of factors which the judge would need to consider on the record prior to imposing a LWOP sentence on a juvenile.

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