No. 19-7893October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Roos v. Arkansas
The Court declined review, leaving the Arkansas Supreme Court's result in place without deciding the legal merits.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court denied Nicholas Roos’s petition for review, leaving in place the Arkansas Supreme Court’s rejection of his claim that his trial lawyer provided ineffective assistance. Roos had argued that counsel failed to obtain needed mental-health expert input and to investigate and seek suppression of time-sensitive evidence.
Question presented
Whether the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision, which held that a criminal defendant’s right to a public trial is not violated when a trial court closes the courtroom to the public during jury selection without making the findings required by Waller v. Georgia, 467 U.S. 39 (1984), and Presley v. Georgia, 558 U.S. 209 (2010), conflicts with the decisions of this Court and other federal and state courts?
- Case path
Supreme Court of Arkansas / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the Arkansas Supreme Court's result in place without deciding the legal merits.
Impact
The Arkansas court's result remains in place for Roos, who is serving a life sentence. The Court's action did not resolve the broader legal questions for other defendants.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Court declined to review Nicholas Ian Roos' appeal from the Arkansas Supreme Court on April 27, 2020. It did not decide the merits of his claims involving closed jury selection and trial counsel in a capital case.
Impact
The Arkansas court's result remains in place for Roos, who is serving a life sentence. The Court's action did not resolve the broader legal questions for other defendants.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its docket action in this case. The Arkansas court's result remains in effect.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Roos v. Arkansas?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide the merits of Roos' claims.
Who is affected by the outcome in Roos v. Arkansas?
Roos is directly affected because the Arkansas court's result remains in place. The Court did not set a merits decision for other defendants.
What happens next in Roos v. Arkansas?
The Supreme Court's docket action is finished. The Arkansas court's result remains in effect.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Feb 14, 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 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology