Johnson v. Inch
In brief
The Supreme Court declined to hear Johnson's case, so the Eleventh Circuit's ruling against him stays in place; the Court did not decide the constitutional question.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · May 18, 2020
- What it’s about
- The Court denied Johnson’s petition for review, leaving the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling against him in place.
- Who it affects
- The Eleventh Circuit's ruling against Johnson remains in place; the Supreme Court did not decide his constitutional challenge.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
Johnson had argued that his trial was unfair because the jury considered a witness’s unsworn testimony and that the state court improperly rejected his ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim.
In his petition, Johnson argued that his trial was unfair because the jury considered a witness's unsworn statement and that a state court wrongly rejected his claim that his lawyer had provided ineffective help.
The petition came from the Eleventh Circuit after proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Question presented
1. Whether the Florida Supreme Court's decision to apply Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and Hurst v. State, 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016), retroactively to some Florida death row prisoners but not to others, based on the date their sentences became final, violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. 2. Whether the Florida Supreme Court's decision to apply Hurst retroactively to some Florida death row prisoners but not to others, based on the date their sentences became final, violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
What the Court decided
Holding
Petition DENIED.
What's next
The Supreme Court's action on this petition is complete. The Eleventh Circuit's ruling against Johnson remains in place.
Documents
Opinions
Key filings
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
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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.