Weeks v. Angelone

Summary

Justice Stevens dissents, arguing that the jury instructions on the death penalty were ambiguously worded, creating a reasonable likelihood of juror confusion about whether a life sentence was permissible even when an aggravating circumstance was found. He contends that this confusion violates clearly established federal law under the habeas corpus statute and warrants reversal of the death sentence. The dissent relies on Boyde and Eddings to support a lower standard for proving juror confusion and criticizes the majority’s presumptions.