Lockhart v. Alabama
Petition for certiorari denied on April 20, 2015
Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
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14-8194 | Ala. Crim. App. | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | OT 2014 |
Issue: (1) Whether a judge"s death sentence, imposed by overriding a jury verdict for life imprisonment without parole, in part because the victim"s family asked for a death sentence, violates the Eighth Amendment"s prohibition on arbitrary and capricious death sentences; (2) whether judicial override, which has become isolated to Alabama and is increasingly rare even within Alabama, especially when the jury"s sentencing verdict is unanimous, now violates the Eighth Amendment because death sentences imposed in such a way constitute cruel and unusual punishment; and (3) whether, under Alabama"s capital sentencing scheme, the death penalty is only authorized if a determination is made that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances in the case, and whether, where a jury decides that aggravation does not outweigh mitigation, a trial judge"s decision to override that finding violates the defendant"s Sixth Amendment right to a jury verdict.
Date | Proceedings and Orders |
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12/05/2014 | Application (14A609) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 25, 2014 to January 26, 2015, submitted to Justice Thomas. |
12/09/2014 | Application (14A609) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until January 26, 2015. |
01/26/2015 | Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due March 2, 2015) |
03/02/2015 | Brief amici curiae of National Association of Black Veterans, et al. filed. |
03/02/2015 | Brief of respondent Alabama in opposition filed. |
03/16/2015 | Reply of petitioner Courtney Larrell Lockhart filed. |
03/19/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of April 3, 2015. |
04/06/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of April 17, 2015. |
04/20/2015 | Petition DENIED Justice Breyer and Justice Sotomayor dissent. |
05/15/2015 | Petition for Rehearing filed. |
05/26/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 11, 2015. |
06/15/2015 | Rehearing DENIED. |