Pa. Supreme Court rejects extension of stay in life without parole for second degree murder ruling
July 31, 2026
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied a request for another 120 day stay of a landmark ruling that found mandatory life sentences for second degree murder unconstitutional.
The charge is brought when someone dies during the commission of a felony, even when the person charged never intended to kill.
The ruling stemmed from the case of Derek Lee, an Allegheny County man who was sentenced to life without parole for second degree murder. Lee took part in an armed robbery and, while he was in another room, his accomplice shot the victim, Leonard Butler.
The Supreme Court ruled in March that, while a life sentence may sometimes be appropriate, requiring one for in all cases of second degree murder violated the state constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments….
The Abolitionist Law Center, which represented Lee, welcomed Friday’s ruling denying the extension of the stay.
‘We’re ready and prepared to be moving forward for resentencing for Mr. Lee,’ said staff attorney Quinn Cozzens. ‘And we hope that the process moving forward brings about a quick remedy for the over 1,000 people who are serving an unconstitutional sentence.'”