No. 19-7626October Term 2019Decided Apr 21, 2020Updated Sep 5, 2026
Rarden v. Ohio
The Supreme Court did not take up Rarden's case, so the Ohio court's result stands.
Case status
Decided · April 21, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 21, 2020
- What it's about
Rarden challenged an Ohio criminal conviction, arguing that the trial court should have instructed the jury on reckless homicide and should not have admitted certain hearsay statements. The Supreme Court denied review, leaving the Ohio court’s judgment in place without deciding the constitutional claims on their merits.
Question presented
1. Whether the trial court's failure to provide a jury instruction on the lesser-included offense of reckless homicide violated the Petitioner's rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution? 2. Whether the trial court's admission of hearsay statements violated the Petitioner's rights under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution?
- Case path
Court of Appeals of Ohio, Butler County / Decision released Apr 21, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not take up Rarden's case, so the Ohio court's result stands.
Impact
The result affects Rarden because his Ohio conviction remains in place. It does not create a Supreme Court decision on when trial judges must give lesser-offense instructions or exclude hearsay evidence.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
Rarden challenged his Ohio criminal conviction, arguing that jurors should have been allowed to consider reckless homicide and that hearsay statements should not have been admitted. The Supreme Court declined review, leaving the Ohio court's judgment in place without deciding those constitutional claims on the merits.
Vote
The Court declined review; no vote count or substantive opinion is stated.
Impact
The result affects Rarden because his Ohio conviction remains in place. It does not create a Supreme Court decision on when trial judges must give lesser-offense instructions or exclude hearsay evidence.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action on this docket. Rarden's conviction remains subject to the Ohio court's judgment.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Rarden v. Ohio?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide Rarden's constitutional arguments, and the Ohio court's judgment remains in place.
Who is affected by the outcome in Rarden v. Ohio?
Rarden is directly affected because his Ohio conviction remains in place. The denial does not set a new nationwide rule for other criminal cases.
What happens next in Rarden v. Ohio?
The Supreme Court's docket action is complete. The Ohio court's judgment continues to govern Rarden's case.
Timing
Decided April 21, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 21, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 5, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Jan 31, 2020 | Court records
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 5, 2026
- Method
- Methodology