Supreme Court of the United States

James E. McWilliams, Petitioner v. Jefferson S. Dunn

June 19, 2017137 S. Ct. 1790

Summary

The Court held that Alabama unreasonably applied clearly established federal law under Ake v. Oklahoma by failing to provide an indigent capital defendant access to mental health expert assistance in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense at the sentencing hearing. The decision reversed the Eleventh Circuit and remanded for further proceedings.