Jones v. Mississippi

Decided April 22, 2021. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 18-1259 · 593 U.S. 98 (2021) · Cited 377 times

Holding

A discretionary sentencing system is both constitutionally necessary and constitutionally sufficient to sentence a defendant who committed a homicide when he or she was under 18 to life without parole; a separate factual finding of permanent incorrigibility is not required.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Miller v. Alabama · 567 U.S. 460 (2012)
• Graham v. Florida · 560 U.S. 48 (2010)
• Roper v. Simmons · 543 U.S. 551 (2005)
• Teague v. Lane · 489 U.S. 288 (1989)
• Lockett v. Ohio · 438 U.S. 586 (1978)
• Eddings v. Oklahoma · 455 U.S. 104 (1982)
• Schriro v. Summerlin · 542 U.S. 348 (2004)
• Welch v. United States · 578 U.S. 120 (2016)
• Beard v. Banks · 542 U.S. 406 (2004)
• Ring v. Arizona · 536 U.S. 584 (2002)
• Woodson v. North Carolina · 428 U.S. 280 (1976)
• Ford v. Wainwright · 477 U.S. 399 (1986)
• Apprendi v. New Jersey · 530 U.S. 466 (2000)
• Williams v. Taylor · 529 U.S. 362 (2000)
• Gideon v. Wainwright · 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
• Wiggins v. Smith, Warden · 539 U.S. 510 (2003)
• Harmelin v. Michigan · 501 U.S. 957 (1991)
• Atkins v. Virginia · 536 U.S. 304 (2002)
• Penry v. Lynaugh · 492 U.S. 302 (1989)
• Linkletter v. Walker · 381 U.S. 618 (1965)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Tennard v. Dretke, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division · 542 U.S. 274 (2004)
• Mills v. Maryland · 486 U.S. 367 (1988)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Saffle v. Parks · 494 U.S. 484 (1990)
• Lambrix v. Singletary · 520 U.S. 518 (1997)
• Johnson v. Texas · 509 U.S. 350 (1993)
• Hall v. Florida · 572 U.S. 701 (2014)
• Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health · 497 U.S. 502 (1990)
• Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC · 576 U.S. 466 (2015)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2021). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).