Bowles v. Florida

Bowles v. Florida asks whether Florida can refuse to hear a death-row inmate's intellectual disability claim because it was filed too late. Bowles says that time bar can block a claim that someone is constitutionally ineligible for execution under the Eighth Amendment.

The case is pending, and oral argument has not been scheduled. Bowles argues Florida's procedural bar creates an unacceptable risk of executing someone who is intellectually disabled, while Florida has relied on a time-bar rule the state court applied in Rodriguez.

The case affects death-row prisoners who say they are intellectually disabled and therefore cannot be executed. If Florida's rule stands, some inmates could be denied review of that claim because of timing rather than the merits.

The next milestone is a scheduling move from the Supreme Court, such as setting oral argument or taking other action on the petition. No decision window is available yet.

The Court is being asked whether Florida may time-bar an intellectual disability claim in a death case. Bowles says that risks executing someone the Constitution protects.

Death-row inmates who claim intellectual disability could lose any chance to prove they cannot be executed. That could make filing deadlines more important than eligibility for execution.

Watch for the Court to schedule oral argument or make another docket move. The case has not been argued, and no decision timing is available yet.