Seven men incarcerated in Massachusetts seek justice through a lawsuit, claiming unjust delays in scheduling their parole hearings after becoming eligible under a 2024 Supreme Judicial Court ruling. This decision established that adults under 21, termed "emerging adults," cannot receive life sentences without parole. Despite qualifying for parole after serving over 15 years, the plaintiffs allege they have yet to have their hearings scheduled. Currently, 127 similar cases are pending, highlighting systemic issues in the parole process following the landmark ruling.
At the current rate, it will take years before all of the Plaintiffs have had their initial parole hearings, the complaint filed last week said.
Each man has already served more than 15 years in prison, making them parole eligible, according to the complaint filed in the Supreme Judicial Court last week.
The complaint says the plaintiffs Robert Francis, Allen Alston, Tanzerius Anderson, Lewis Franklin, Jabrai Copney, Sam Smith, and Christopher Middlemiss - are all currently held in both minimum and maximum security prisons in Massachusetts.
The complaint said 127 'emerging adults' are already parole eligible, with the 'vast majority' waiting for their hearings.
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