Washington Supreme Court OKs virtual life term for teen

By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — One year after saying virtual life sentences are unconstitutional for teenage killers, the Washington Supreme Court changed course Thursday in a split ruling that drew irate dissents from four justices. Last year, the court struck down a 46-year sentence for a man who was 17 when he drowned his 7-year-old neighbor, saying it amounted to an unconstitutional life sentence for a juvenile. But in a 5-4 ruling Thursday, the court upheld a 61-year sentence for Tonelli Anderson, who was 17 when he shot two women, killing one of them and blinding the other. The decision was a striking departure for a court that has steadily embraced research showing that juveniles’ brain development makes them less culpable.