Help Uncle Tony - Uphold Mandatory Life Sentences for 18-20 Year Olds in Massachusetts Bill S942


My Uncle Anthony “Tony” LoConte was tragically murdered in 1988 in Brockton, Massachusetts at just 24 years old by Robert Morganti. Although Morganti was only 19 at the time of the murder, he managed to evade justice until his conviction in 2003, by which time he was 34. The thought that the law now considers it unconstitutional to impose a mandatory life sentence without parole for such heinous crimes committed by those aged 18 to 20 is deeply unsettling to my family and me. Morganti, having been convicted of murder, should serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He has not even been behind bars for as long as my Uncle Tony lived. 



In January 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in the case of Commonwealth vs. Mattis, ruled that mandatory life sentencing without the possibility of parole for defendants aged 18 to 20 is unconstitutional. This ruling overturns the justice served to the families of murder victims and provides an escape route for those who have taken lives in cold blood. MA Bill S942.



According to neuroscience studies, while brain development continues into the mid-20s, individuals aged 18 to 20 possess significant cognitive capacities to distinguish right from wrong. These years are also marked with a responsibility of understanding the severe consequences of actions as serious as taking another person’s life. By overturning mandatory life sentences, we send a message that undermines accountability for grave actions.



We must hold firm on the principles of justice for victims and their families. It is crucial to recognize the severe impact of first-degree murder on the victim's loved ones and maintain the penalties previously prescribed by law for offenders in this age group.



Let us urge the lawmakers and justices in Massachusetts to reverse the ruling in Commonwealth vs. Mattis, reinstating mandatory life without parole for 18 to 20-year-olds when convicted of first-degree murder. Justice should remain undiluted for the victims and their families who continue to grapple with unimaginable loss.



Please sign this petition to ensure the sentences reflect the gravity of the crime committed and protect the sanctity of human life. Together, we can make a stand for the principles of justice in Massachusetts.

Huge thank you to MORBID Podcast for telling my family’s story, Ash and Alaina I cannot tell you how much you mean to me for everything you’ve done! morbid podcast

*** Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support. Upon reading responses from potential and actual signers alike, my family and I have decided to make our mission statement more specific. Let us urge the lawmakers and justices in Massachusetts to enhance the guidelines for the ruling in Commonwealth vs. Mattis. We would like to add stricter policy/guidelines, urging case by case assessments, for mandatory life without parole for 18 to 20-year-olds when convicted of first-degree murder. While we believe Justice should remain undiluted for the victims and their families who continue to grapple with unimaginable loss , we also understand the justice system has systemic flaws rooted in racism and minority groups being unfairly punished. We are fighting hard to keep Morganti behind bars.