Sixth Amendment review after remand
Tara Sheneva Williams v. Johnson
In brief
The Supreme Court did not decide whether Williams' rights were violated; it wiped out the Ninth Circuit's ruling and sent her claim back for reconsideration.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · July 1, 2014 · Per curiam
- What it’s about
- Tara Williams claimed that dismissing a juror who disagreed with others at her capital murder trial violated her Sixth Amendment rights.
- Who it affects
- The Ninth Circuit must reconsider Williams' claim under that federal standard; the Supreme Court did not decide whether the juror's dismissal violated her rights.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court wiped out the Ninth Circuit’s ruling (vacated it) and sent the case back (remanded it) to reconsider her claim under the federal rule for reviewing state-court decisions in prisoner cases; it did not decide whether her rights were violated.
The dispute concerns how a federal court should review Williams' constitutional claim about the juror's dismissal.
Question presented
1. Did the Supreme Court's decision to reverse and remand the case bar further review of Williams' Sixth Amendment claim? 2. Did the Court's decision not to hear arguments on the second question in Williams' petition, regarding the Sixth Amendment issue, and not address the question in the opinion allow that question to be remanded for consideration by a lower court by default?
What the Court decided
Holding
The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is vacated, and the case is remanded for consideration of petitioner’s Sixth Amendment claim under the standard set forth in 28 U.
- Result
- Vacated
What's next
The Ninth Circuit is to reconsider Williams' Sixth Amendment claim under the federal standard for reviewing state-court decisions in prisoner cases.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Opinion added: Williams
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.