Alito Warns Supreme Court 'Exacerbates' Confusion Over IQ and Death Penalty
Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a case about how to handle multiple IQ scores when deciding death penalty cases involving intellectual disability. Justice Samuel Alito disagreed with the majority, saying the court missed a chance to clear up confusion about the rules.Key Facts
- The case, Hamm v. Smith, involves Joseph Smith, who was sentenced to death in Alabama.
- Smith argued he is intellectually disabled and should not be executed based on the Supreme Court’s 2002 Atkins v. Virginia decision.
- Smith’s IQ scores ranged from 72 to 78, with some measurements possibly below 70 when accounting for error margins.
- Lower courts ruled Smith is intellectually disabled, but Alabama asked the Supreme Court for guidance on handling multiple IQ scores in such cases.
- The Supreme Court majority dismissed the case without giving new rules, saying the court lacked enough information to decide.
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the majority opinion explaining the court is not ready to provide detailed guidance.
- Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, arguing the court should clarify how courts evaluate IQ scores in death penalty cases.
- Thomas criticized the Atkins ruling and suggested it should be overturned because it conflicts with the Constitution, while Alito warned silence worsens confusion in the law.
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