3 ms·

> It became a test case of whether there is a limit to punishments for crimes. Is a life sentence for littering constitutionally legal if there is a valid statu

> It became a test case of whether there is a limit to punishments for crimes. Is a life sentence for littering constitutionally legal if there is a valid statute that says it is? This can't be a correct description; a statute can't influence whether something is or isn't constitutional. They're different levels. I tend to suspect that you're intentionally omitting whatever the case was actually about.

qingcharles 2y ago
It definitely can. The sentence was decided as disproportionate to the crime. Illinois has a "proportional penalties" clause. This is found in the Illinois Constitution, Article I, Section 11, which states: "All penalties shall be proportioned to the offense."