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Murder Inmates Convicted as Juveniles Get Break in MD

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's second-highest court has ordered new sentencing hearings for three men serving life without parole for murders they committed as juveniles.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the Court of Special Appeals ruled in three opinions Tuesday that the judges who sentenced the three defendants did not consider whether the men could be rehabilitated.

The court's rulings say the U.S. Supreme Court has held that such sentences should be reserved for the "rare juvenile offender whose crime reflects irreparable corruption."

The decisions grant new sentencing hearings to Aaron Dwayne Holly, who was convicted in Baltimore County; Marcus William Tunstall, convicted in Prince George's County; and Kenneth Benjamin Alvira, convicted in Wicomico County.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.