Thomas v. Lumpkin

Summary

The Court denied certiorari without explaining its reasons or deciding the merits. Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, dissented. She concluded that Thomas received ineffective assistance when counsel failed to question or challenge jurors who expressed opposition to interracial marriage and procreation in a capital case involving interracial violence. She regarded the state court’s rejection of that claim as an unreasonable application of clearly established Supreme Court law and would have summarily reversed the Fifth Circuit.