OCTOBER TERM 2012
Cavazos v. Williams, 11-465 (formerly Johnson v. Williams)
- Issues: (1) Whether petitioner’s claim has been “adjudicated on the merits” where the state court denied the claim in an explained decision but did not expressly acknowledge a federal-law basis for the claim; and (2) whether a federal habeas court (a) may grant relief on the ground that the petitioner had a Sixth Amendment right to retain a biased juror on the panel and (b) may reject a state court’s finding of juror bias because it disagrees with the finding and the reasons stated for it, even where the finding was rationally supported by evidence in the state-court record.
- SCOTUSblog page
Ryan v. Gonzales, 10-930
- Issue: Does 18 U.S.C. § 3599(a)(2) which provides that counsel must be assigned to an indigent capital state inmate entitle the inmate to stay the habeas proceedings if he is not competent to assist counsel?
- SCOTUSblog page
Tibbals v. Carter, 11-218
- Issues: 1) Whether capital prisoners possess a “right to competence” in federal habeas proceedings under Reese v. Payton; and 2) whether a district court can order an indefinite stay of a federal habeas proceeding under Rees.
- SCOTUSblog page
Evans v. Michigan, 11-1327 (front-end case)
- Issue: Whether the Double Jeopardy Clause bars retrial after the trial judge erroneously holds a particular fact to be an element of the offense and then grants a midtrial directed verdict of acquittal because the prosecution failed to prove that fact.
- SCOTUSblog page
Chaidez v. United States, 11-820 (habeas-related)
- Issue: Whether Padilla v. Kentucky applies to persons whose convictions became final before its announcement.
- SCOTUSblog page
