Supreme Court dismisses bid to execute inmate with borderline intellectual disability
Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Alabama’s request to allow the execution of Joseph Clifton Smith, who was found to have borderline intellectual disability by lower courts. This decision leaves the lower court rulings protecting Smith in place, preventing his execution based on his mental capacity.Key Facts
- Joseph Clifton Smith was convicted of murder in 1997 and has spent about half his life on death row.
- Lower courts ruled that Smith is intellectually disabled or has borderline intellectual disability.
- The Supreme Court banned executing people with intellectual disabilities in 2002.
- States must consider various evidence when IQ scores are close to the disability cutoff, which is around 70.
- Smith’s IQ scores ranged from 72 to 78, slightly above the usual cutoff for intellectual disability.
- At the time of the crime, Smith had very low academic skills, such as reading and math below grade level.
- The Supreme Court dismissed Alabama’s appeal without a full ruling, leaving the lower court decisions intact.
- The decision was made by a 5-4 vote, with the majority including three liberal justices and Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett.
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