Criminal Law
7 cases in this category
Villarreal v. Texas
The Supreme Court ruled in Villarreal v. Texas on the constitutional right of a criminal defendant to consult with his attorney during an overnight recess in testimony. David Villarreal was on trial for murder and took the stand in his own defense. When testimony was interrupted by a 24-hour recess, the trial judge instructed his lawyers not to "manage his testimony," though the judge acknowledged Villarreal could still talk to his attorneys about certain topics.
Trotter v. Florida
The Supreme Court denied Melvin Trotter's application to stay his execution and denied his petition for certiorari. Trotter, sentenced to death in Florida, argued that the state was likely to improperly administer its lethal injection protocol in a way that would cause unnecessary pain in violation of the Eighth Amendment. He did not challenge lethal injection itself or Florida's protocol on paper.
Klein v. Martin
In a per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit in Klein v. Martin, a habeas corpus case. Charles Brandon Martin was convicted in Maryland state court for the attempted murder of his girlfriend, Jodi Torok. He sought federal habeas relief, which the Fourth Circuit granted despite the strict standards of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA).
Ellingburg v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled in Ellingburg v. United States that mandatory restitution under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996 (MVRA) constitutes criminal punishment subject to the Ex Post Facto Clause. Ellingburg committed his crime before the MVRA was enacted but was sentenced under it and ordered to pay $7,567.25 in restitution. He argued that applying the MVRA retroactively violated the Constitution's prohibition on ex post facto laws.
Barrett v. United States
The Supreme Court addressed the relationship between two federal firearms provisions in Barrett v. United States. The case concerned 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)(i), which criminalizes using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in connection with a federal crime of violence or drug trafficking, and §924(j), which prescribes enhanced penalties — including potentially capital punishment — when such a violation causes death. The question was whether a single act can yield two separate convictions under both provisions.
Case v. Montana
The Supreme Court decided Case v. Montana, a Fourth Amendment case about when police can enter a home without a warrant under the emergency aid exception. Montana officers responded to William Case's home after his ex-girlfriend called 911 to report he was threatening suicide and may have shot himself. Officers knocked and yelled but got no response. They could see an empty gun holster and what looked like a suicide note inside, and ultimately entered the home.
Fischer v. United States
The Court narrowed the reach of a federal obstruction law that prosecutors used to charge many January 6th defendants. The law makes it a crime to obstruct an 'official proceeding,' and the government used it against people who disrupted the certification of the 2020 election results.