Sheppard v. Louisiana
In brief
The Supreme Court erased the prior Louisiana ruling and returned Sheppard's case to the state court without deciding the underlying claim.
- Where it stands
- Case remanded
Remanded · April 27, 2020
- What it’s about
- Kevin Sheppard challenged Louisiana’s use of a nonunanimous jury verdict in his case. The Supreme Court sent the case back for another look (grant-vacate-remand), wiping out the lower court’s ruling in light of Ramos v.
- Who it affects
- The order required the Louisiana court to reconsider Sheppard's case using Ramos. It did not decide whether Sheppard had properly raised the jury-unanimity issue earlier in the case.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
Louisiana without deciding the issue itself.
This was a grant-vacate-remand (GVR), meaning the Court sent the case back for another look rather than deciding who should win.
Question presented
Whether the Fourteenth Amendment fully incorporates the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a unanimous jury verdict.
What the Court decided
Holding
Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana , 590 U. S. ___ (2020). Justice Alito, concurring in the decision to grant, vacate, and remand: In this and in all other cases in which the Court grants, vacates, and remands in light of Ramos v. Louisiana , I concur in the judgment on the understanding that the Court is not deciding or expressing a view on whether the question was properly raised below but is instead leaving that question to be decided on remand.
- Result
- Remanded
What's next
The Louisiana court must reconsider the case in light of Ramos v. Louisiana. It must also address whether Sheppard properly raised the jury-unanimity question below.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
New analysis added
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Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Status changed from pending to decided
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What happened in Sheppard v. Louisiana?
- The Supreme Court wiped out the Louisiana appeals court ruling and sent the case back for reconsideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana.
- Did the Supreme Court decide whether Sheppard should win?
- No. The Court issued a procedural grant-vacate-remand order and did not decide the merits of Sheppard's claim.
- What issue remains unresolved in Sheppard's case?
- The lower court must consider whether Sheppard properly raised his jury-unanimity claim earlier in the case.
- What happens next in Sheppard v. Louisiana?
- The Louisiana court will reconsider the case under Ramos v. Louisiana. The Supreme Court has finished its action in this docket.
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.