Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Sex Crimes

Criminal Law

: Sex Crimes

Life Sentence For Failure To Register Cruel and Unusual in Georgia

By Corey Rayburnyung

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a mandatory life sentence given to a sex offender two twice failing to register was unconstitutional.  The Court ruled that the sentence violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. You can view the opinion here. From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional a mandatory life sentence given to a Bulloch County sex offender convicted of failing to register for a second time. In a 6-1 decision, written by Justice Robert Benham, the court said the life sentence given to Cedric Bradshaw violates the Eighth Amendment?s guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. ?We conclude the imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment is so harsh in comparison to the crime for which it was imposed that it is unconstitutional,? Benham wrote...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sex Crimes on November 25, 2008 (boomark / email).