
The anatomy of a sentencing hearing for a juvenile in Michigan facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. Charles Lewis, Jr was 13 when he took part in a murder. He was tried and convicted as an adult. The judge in the case had to decide whether he thought "Little Chuckie' can be rehabilitated.
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Broadcast History
aired on "The Story" 6/1/12
Timing and Cues
stations can break at 9:00 into story (not including intro) if necessary
Intro and Outro
INTRO:The United States Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for states to automatically sentence a juvenile to life in prison without parole. The ruling does not eliminate such a sentence but gives judges other sentencing options.
That was the case in the recent sentencing of Charles Lewis Jr. in Lansing. Michigan. Lewis Jr. was found guilty of a murder committed when he was thirteen years old.
Because Lewis Jr was 21 days shy of his fourteenth birthday, the judge had a set of sentencing choices including life without parole. And at the heart of the proceedings for Charles Lewis, Jr, was the question - can he be rehabilitated.
Independent producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister followed Lewis' sentencing case and produced this story.
OUTRO:“Life Without Parole: The Case of Charles Lewis, Jr” was produced by Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister for Long Haul Productions.
Additional Files
- audio for host introduction (scotus.intro.mp2)





