Supreme Court of Missouri / Nov 24, 2020
James Hicklin, a/k/a Jessica Hicklin, Appellant, vs. Eric Schmitt, et al., Respondents.
Jessica Hicklin, sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile for first-degree murder, challenged the constitutionality of her sentence and Missouri's legislative response to Miller v. Alabama and Montgomery v. Louisiana via a declaratory judgment action. The circuit court rejected her claims. The Missouri Supreme Court affirmed, holding that a declaratory judgment was the proper vehicle for challenging statutory validity, and that Missouri's scheme providing parole eligibility for Miller-impacted juveniles was constitutionally permissible and did not violate the separation of powers.