Published on: Friday, September 16, 2022

Arizona man, following his arrest for a three-month burglary spree that nabbed about $5k worth of property, is convicted of 25 counts (mostly residential burglaries), with all but two of the sentences to be served consecutively. A total of 292 years in prison! Man: this punishment is excessive and disproportionate that it violates the Eighth Amendment. Ninth Circuit (over a dissent): The sentence is “undeniably harsh," but none of the individual sentences are unconstitutionally excessive, and the Supreme Court has never said we should add them all up, so no habeas for this guy. Dissent: in a 25-page dissent said the state courts erred and that the sentence — “multiples of the sentences imposed for murderers and rapists” — amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.