Luis Suave Gonzalez was only 17 at the time, making him a juvenile, but he was tried as an adult and given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of ever being released. He would spend the rest of his life behind bars, and would ultimately die in prison.
That is, until a few days ago. On January 25 the US Supreme Court ruled in the Montgomery v Louisiana case that people like Suave, called juvenile lifers, have the right to be re-sentenced--which means his life sentence could be reduced to time he has already served... offering Suave and thousands more in his position the opportunity to walk free.
