Right to a capable lawyer
Anthony Ray Hinton v. Alabama
In brief
The Supreme Court wiped out the Alabama appeals court's judgment and sent Hinton's case back for further proceedings.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · February 24, 2014 · Per curiam
- What it’s about
- Anthony Ray Hinton challenged how Alabama courts applied the constitutional test for whether his trial lawyer provided effective counsel.
- Who it affects
- The Alabama appeals court's judgment no longer stands in Hinton's case, and further proceedings are required.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court wiped out the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals’ judgment (vacated it) and sent the case back for further proceedings (remanded it).
The dispute concerns a constitutional test that asks whether a trial lawyer's work fell below a reasonable standard and could have affected the trial's outcome.
Question presented
Did the Alabama courts properly apply the rule established by the Supreme Court's decision in Strickland v. Washington , which stated that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is violated if the trial attorney's performance falls below an objective standard of reasonableness and there is a reasonable chance the outcome of the trial was affected?
What the Court decided
Holding
* * * The petition for certiorari and Hinton’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis are granted, the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama is vacated, and the case is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
- Result
- Vacated
The vote
- Majority author
- Per Curiam
What's next
The case returns to the Alabama courts for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court's opinion.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
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Opinion added: Hinton
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.