The question
Whether the lower court properly evaluated a capital defendant's claim of intellectual disability.
Hamm v. Smith
What the Court decided
The Court sent an Alabama capital case back to the lower court, holding it had not correctly analyzed the defendant's claim of intellectual disability. In a brief per curiam opinion, the Court vacated the decision below and directed the lower court to reconsider the claim under the proper framework.
How the justices split
UnanimousPer curiam (unsigned)
Delivered by the Court
The lower court did not correctly evaluate the defendant's claim of intellectual disability, so its judgment is vacated and the case is remanded for reconsideration under the proper standard.
How we know · 2 sourced claims
The Court vacated and remanded for the lower court to reconsider the intellectual-disability claim.
Source: syllabus, Held, at 24-872
The decision was issued per curiam.
Source: syllabus, per curiam