COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT ___________________________ No. SJC-12482 ________________________ JEFFREY ROBERIO, PETITIONER-APPELLANT, V. PAUL TRESELER, CHAIRMAN, MASSACHUSETTS PAROLE BOARD, RESPONDENT-APPELLEE. _________________________ On Appeal from a Judgment of the Suffolk County Superior Court __________________________ CORRECTED* AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF ON BEHALF OF: MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS; JUVENILE LAW CENTER; PRISONERS’ LEGAL SERVICES; NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, PRISONERS’ RIGHTS PROJECT; HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, PRISON LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT; and COALITION FOR EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SAFETY. David J. Apfel (BBO#551139) Marielle Sanchez (BBO#703897) Elizabeth Zito (NY Bar #3045333) Janie Y. Miller (CA Bar #312715) GOODWIN PROCTER LLP 100 Northern Avenue Boston, MA 02110 (617) 570-1000
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] * Corrected Brief filed on December 31, 2018; Corrections to original brief (filed on 12/28/18)appear on this cover page, and pages v, 13, 14, 16, 17, 52 and 53 of the Brief, and pages 16 and 17 of the attached Addendum. ACTIVE/97913718.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES............................... iii INTERESTS OF THE AMICI............................. vii I. STATEMENT OF AMICUS ISSUE....................... 1 II. STATEMENT OF THE CASE........................... 1 III. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT............................. 4 IV. STATEMENT OF FACTS.............................. 7 A. Jeffrey Roberio............................ 7 V. ARGUMENT....................................... 18 A. As a Statutory Matter, the 1996 Amendment Does Not Apply Retroactively.............. 18 B. The Retroactive Application of the 1996 Amendment to Roberio and Similarly Situated Juvenile Homicide Offenders Sufficiently Risks Increasing Their Terms of Incarceration So As To Violate the State and Federal Constitutional Ex Post Facto Provisions................................ 20 1. Common Sense........................