No death penalty sought in Taylor case

(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, File)

MIAMI (AP) Prosecutors said Monday they will not seek the death penalty against four people charged with murdering Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor because the accused shooter was a minor when the crime was committed.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people cannot be executed for crimes committed when they're under 18, and it's a well established legal principle that others involved in the same case as a minor cannot face the ultimate penalty if they are less directly responsible.

Assistant State Attorney Reid Rubin filed notice Friday that the death penalty will be waived. That means the four suspects could get a maximum of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder after a trial scheduled to begin Aug. 25.

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