Lawyer absence during trial
Woods v. Donald
In brief
The justices unanimously overturned the Sixth Circuit's judgment and sent Donald's case back for more proceedings.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · March 30, 2015 · Per curiam
- What it’s about
- The dispute concerned whether the Michigan Court of Appeals wrongly rejected Cory Donald’s claim that his lawyer was absent during testimony about codefendants, entitling him to federal court relief from his conviction.
- Who it affects
- The Sixth Circuit's judgment in Donald's case was wiped out, and the case returns to that court for more proceedings.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court overturned the Sixth Circuit’s judgment and sent the case back for further proceedings (remanded).
The Michigan Court of Appeals had rejected Donald's claim that his lawyer was absent during testimony about codefendants.
Question presented
Did the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit properly affirm the granting of federal habeas relief by holding that the Michigan Court of Appeals improperly applied Supreme Court precedent?
What the Court decided
Holding
The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
- Result
- Reversed
The vote
What's next
The Sixth Circuit will take up the case again in 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: Woods
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.