Davis v. Ayala

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
13-1428	9th Cir.	Mar 3, 2015 Tr.Aud.	Jun 18, 2015	5-4	Alito	OT 2014

Holding: Any federal constitutional error that may have occurred by excluding the attorney for a defendant in a capital murder trial from part of the Batson hearing was harmless.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Alito on June 18, 2015. Justice Kennedy and Justice Thomas filed concurring opinions. Justice Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan joined.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

A “view” from the Courtroom: A bonus day for opinions (Mark Walsh)
Opinion analysis: How habeas courts should assess harmless error in a procedural Batson challenge (Steve Vladeck)
Argument analysis: AEDPA deference, Brecht deference, and a Lackey tangent in a California capital case (Steve Vladeck)
Argument preview: A Ninth Circuit capital habeas case with a complicated doctrinal twist (Steve Vladeck)
Privacy of hotel guest lists at issue (Lyle Denniston)
Petition of the day (Maureen Johnston)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
May 27 2014	Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 30, 2014)
Jun 18 2014	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including July 30, 2014.
Jul 21 2014	Order further extending time to file response to petition to and including August 13, 2014.
Aug 13 2014	Brief of respondent Hector Ayala in opposition filed.
Aug 26 2014	Reply of petitioner Kevin Chappell, Warden filed.
Aug 27 2014	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 29, 2014.
Oct 6 2014	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of October 10, 2014.
Oct 14 2014	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of October 17, 2014.
Oct 20 2014	Petition GRANTED In addition to the question presented by the petition, the parties are directed to brief and argue the following question: "Whether the court of appeals properly applied the standard articulated in Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U. S. 619 (1993)."
Oct 30 2014	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including December 11, 2014.
Oct 30 2014	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 20, 2015.
Dec 9 2014	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
Dec 9 2014	Brief of petitioner Kevin Chappell, Warden filed.
Dec 22 2014	SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Dec 22 2014	Record requested from U.S.C.A. 9th Circuit.
Dec 22 2014	Record from U.S.C.A. 9th Circuit is electronic and located on PACER.
Jan 7 2015	CIRCULATED.
Jan 9 2015	Record received from U.S.D.C. Southern District of California, (12 Boxes, one box of the record is SEALED)
Jan 20 2015	Brief of respondent Hector Ayala filed. (Distributed)
Feb 12 2015	Letter from counsel for the petitioner regarding change in party name.
Feb 18 2015	Reply of petitioner Ron Davis, Acting Warden filed. (Distributed)
Mar 3 2015	Argued. For petitioner: Robin Urbanski, California Deputy Attorney General, San Diego, Cal. For respondent: Anthony J. Dain, San Diego, Cal.
Jun 18 2015	Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Alito, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas, JJ., joined. Kennedy, J., and Thomas, J., filed concurring opinions. Sotomayor, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan, JJ., joined.
Jul 13 2015	Petition for Rehearing filed.
Jul 16 2015	DISTRIBUTED.
Aug 10 2015	Rehearing DENIED.
Aug 10 2015	JUDGMENT ISSUED.
Aug 11 2015	Records from the 9th Circuit and from U.S.D.C. Southern District of California has been returned.

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Editor's Note :

Davis v. Ayala

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Featured Posts

City returns in gun-rights case – Amy Howe

A Supreme Court ceremony for Justice Stevens: “A modest and humble man” – Mark Walsh

Remembering Justice Stevens: A lost link to our past – Gregory Garre

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Download our App in the Apple Store

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Peabody Award

Sigma Delta Chi

National Press Club Award

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American Gavel Award

Webby Award