(Radio Iowa) – An attorney for a Fairfield teen who pleaded guilty to killing his Spanish teacher in 2021, is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to reconsider his life sentence with parole after 35 years.
Willard Miller’s attorney Ella Newell claims a mandatory minimum sentence for a juvenile is cruel and unusual punishment if the judge does not consider testimony from an expert on child psychology. Timothy Hau with the attorney general’s office represented the state and says experts can be helpful and parties can choose to bring them, but they’re not constitutionally required.
Miller was 16 at the time of the murder and 17 at the time of his sentencing. The Iowa Supreme Court will issue a ruling at a later date.
