Supreme Court of the United States
Shinn v. Kayer
December 14, 2020592 U.S. 111
Summary
The Court held in a per curiam opinion that the Ninth Circuit exceeded the limits of federal habeas review under AEDPA by substituting its own assessment of sentencing prejudice for a reasonable state-court determination. Fairminded jurists could conclude that Kayer’s additional mitigation evidence did not establish a substantial likelihood of a different sentence, particularly given the aggravating circumstances and evidence of deliberate planning. Comparison with another Arizona capital case did not make the state court’s determination unreasonable. The Court vacated the Ninth Circuit’s judgment and remanded. Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented without a written opinion.
Holding
- AEDPA review of the state court’s determination that Kayer failed to establish sentencing prejudice from ineffective assistance of counsel.. The Ninth Circuit improperly substituted its own judgment for the state court’s reasonable determination that Kayer had not established prejudice.
- The significance of a prior Arizona capital sentencing decision to the reasonableness of the state court’s prejudice determination.. State v. Brookover did not establish that the state court’s rejection of sentencing prejudice was beyond fairminded disagreement.
Docket 19-1302
Cited authorities
- 28 U.S.C. §2254
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §13
- 28 U.S.C. §2254
- 28 U.S.C. §2254
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §13
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §13
- 28 U.S.C. §2254