Legal Opinion
Solem v. Helm
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided June 28, 1983No. 82-492PublishedCited by 3,650 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Powell
The issue presented is whether the Eighth Amendment proscribes a life sentence without possibility of parole for a seventh nonviolent felony.
I
By 1975 the State of South Dakota had convicted respondent Jerry Helm of six nonviolent felonies. In 1964,1966, and 1969 Helm was convicted of third-degree burglary.1 In 1972 *280he was convicted of obtaining money under false pretenses.2 In 1973 he was convicted of grand larceny.3 And in 1975 he was convicted of third-offense driving while intoxicated.4 The record contains no details about the circumstances of any of these offenses, except that they were…
2Cases cited27 opinions
- Morrissey v. BrewerSupreme Court of the United States · 1972
- Barker v. WingoSupreme Court of the United States · 1972
- Gregg v. GeorgiaSupreme Court of the United States · 1976
- Furman v. GeorgiaSupreme Court of the United States · 1972
- Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal & Correctional ComplexSupreme Court of the United States · 1979
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3Cited by3,650 opinions
- Schlup v. DeloSupreme Court of the United States · 1995
- Miller v. AlabamaSupreme Court of the United States · 2012
- Berkemer v. McCartySupreme Court of the United States · 1984
- Tennessee v. GarnerSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
- Lockyer v. AndradeSupreme Court of the United States · 2003
3,645 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.