HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied a petition that would’ve given state lawmakers more time to pass new sentencing guidelines for second-degree murder cases.
The petition was filed July 23, a day before the July 24 deadline. The House and Senate failed to reach an agreement after having 120 days to pass new guidelines.
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With the deadline passed, people convicted of second-degree murder can now appeal their sentences.
Justice Kevin Dougherty filed a dissenting opinion, arguing the court should’ve given legislators an additional 120 days to reach a decision.
“Certainly, a holistic, state-wide legislative response to our groundbreaking decision would be preferable to the inevitable uncertainties and disparities which would attend unlegislated, ad hoc determinations by individual jurists across the Commonwealth,” Dougherty wrote.
Dougherty said he believed the General Assembly was more focused on the state budget, and then its summer recess further delayed their decision.