Omer Ninham, who was 14 years old at the time, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide for his role in beating a man and causing him to fall to his death. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ninham appealed his sentence, arguing that it was unconstitutional punishment for a 14-year-old and excessively harsh. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling, finding that a life sentence without parole for a 14-year-old convicted of homicide was not categorically unconstitutional. The Court also determined that Ninham's sentence was not disproportionate to his crime and that his family's religious beliefs were not improperly considered in sentencing.