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Massachusetts high court rules individuals under age 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole

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Massachusetts high court rules individuals under age 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole


The highest court in Massachusetts ruled on Thursday that individuals under the age of 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole, becoming the first state to do so. In a 4-3 decision overruling the previous legislative action, the court raised the minimum age from 18 to 21, citing brain development science and the Massachusetts Constitution as a source for a “contemporary standard of decency.”

The decision comes from Commonwealth v. Sheldon Mattis, a case wherein Sheldon Mattis was convicted for the shooting death of Javion Blake in 2011 when he was 18. Mattis was sentenced to life without parole and the co-defendant, who was 17 at the time, was sentenced to 15 years with the possibility of parole.

In their decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court concluded that “emerging adults, who are 18, 19, or 20, are not fully mature.” In relying on scientific research, the court also noted that “the scientific record strongly supports the contention that emerging adults have the same core neurological characteristics as juveniles.” In concluding the decision, the court declared it unconstitutional and a violation of Article 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights as well as the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment.

The scientific record of the case presented evidence that showed that “emerging adults” lacked impulse control. Emerging adults were found to display similarities to those at the age of 16 and 17, rather than older adults. The record established that they lack a fully developed prefrontal cortex that regulates impulse.

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According to the court, Massachusetts is only one of ten states that require 18 to 21-year-olds who are convicted of murder in the first degree to be sentenced to life without parole.

Individuals have advocated for change in the criminal justice system since the 2013 ruling in Mattis. The attorney who represented Mattis, Ruth Greenberg, called the court’s decision “courageous.” Greenberg said, “The Supreme Judicial Court has set the standard for the nation. We’re the first, and won’t be the last, to recognize that people under 21 are not deserving of punishment of life without the possibility of parole.”

The decision allows anyone who has been sentenced to life without parole before the newly initiated parole system introduced in July 2014 for minors convicted of first-degree murder to become eligible for parole after serving 15 years. This allows for individuals, like Mattis, to be resentenced in accordance with the decision. Anyone following the date must serve between 20 and 35 years before parole consideration.



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Massachusetts

Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks

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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks




Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks – CBS Boston

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Poya Sohrabi hasn’t heard from his family since they took shelter from attacks in Tehran. WBZ-TV’s Mike Sullivan reports.

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?


With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.

So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?

An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.

Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.

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While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.

Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.

“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.

GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News


EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.

A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.

The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.

Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.

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“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.

They then carried the driver to safety.

Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

No one else was injured in the crash.

Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”

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After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”

She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.

“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.

She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.

“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”

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Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.

“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”

Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.

“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”

Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.

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