Supreme Court of the United States
Medellin v. Dretke
May 23, 2005544 U.S. 660
Summary
The Court dismissed the writ as improvidently granted following President Bush's memorandum directing Texas courts to give effect to the ICJ's Avena judgment, which provided Medellín with a new state proceeding to consider his Vienna Convention claim. The Court cited threshold barriers to federal habeas relief, including procedural default, exhaustion, and the COA requirement. Justice Ginsburg concurred in the dismissal; Justice O'Connor, joined by Justices Stevens, Souter, and Breyer, dissented.