Children are Differe...

Children are Different: The Impact of In PRP Domingo-Cornelio and In re PRP Ali
Mr. Domingo- Cornelio and Mr. Ali were prosecuted in adult court for crimes committed when they were children and sentenced prior to the Washington Supreme Court’s 2017 decision in State v. Houston-Sconiers, a landmark case holding that trial courts have and must exercise discretion when sentencing youth in adult courts. In both cases, the trial court failed to consider the impact of youth and adolescent development prior to imposing sentence. Mr. Domingo-Cornelio filed a timely PRP; Mr. Ali filed his PRP outside the one year time limit, both arguing State v Houston–Sconiers is a significant change in the law that must be applied retroactively. In these two cases, the Washington Supreme Court held that Houston-Sconiers is retroactive, opening a pathway for individuals sentenced as adults for crimes committed as youth prior to Houston-Sconiers to seek resentencing.

In this CLE, Jeff Ellis will provide an overview of these cases, discuss strategies for identifying and notifying past clients impacted by these two important decisions, and will discuss legal strategies and procedures for successfully seeking and representing clients at future resentencing hearings.

Presenter: Jeff Ellis, Alsept & Ellis, Portland, OR 

To register, email wda@defensenet.org with “Children” as the subject line.