Intellectual disability and execution
Shoop v. Hill
In brief
The Supreme Court wiped out the Sixth Circuit’s ruling and sent Hill’s case back without finally deciding his claim.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · January 7, 2019 · Per curiam
- What it’s about
- Danny Hill challenged Ohio’s rejection of his claim that intellectual disability barred his execution, and the Sixth Circuit ruled in his favor.
- Who it affects
- The Sixth Circuit’s ruling no longer stands, and Hill’s case returns to that court; the Supreme Court did not finally decide his claim in this action.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, wiped out the Sixth Circuit’s ruling (vacated it), and sent the case back for further proceedings (remanded).
The dispute concerns how Ohio applied the Eighth Amendment’s ban on executing people with intellectual disabilities when deciding who qualifies.
Question presented
Did the Sixth Circuit err in determining that the decisions of Ohio courts as to a defendant’s intellectual disability were contrary to clearly established Supreme Court precedent at the time?
What the Court decided
Holding
HILL Per Curiam * * * The petition for certiorari and Hill’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis are granted, the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is vacated, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
- Result
- Vacated
The vote
What's next
The Sixth Circuit will continue the case consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion.
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
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Opinion added: Shoop
Opinion added: Opinion
Brief added: Petition
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.