Mays v. Hines

This case asks whether the Sixth Circuit went too far when it overturned Anthony Hines's Tennessee murder conviction and death sentence on ineffective-assistance grounds. The question is whether that court conflicted with Supreme Court precedent and AEDPA (a law that limits federal habeas review of state convictions).

Oral argument has not been scheduled. The warden says the Sixth Circuit second-guessed the state court too aggressively, while Hines says his lawyer's failures were serious enough to justify federal relief.

The answer could affect how often federal courts set aside state convictions because of claimed lawyer mistakes. That matters for prisoners seeking new trials and for states trying to preserve jury verdicts in serious criminal cases.

Watch for oral argument or another scheduling move from the Court. No decision window is available yet.

The Court is being asked whether the Sixth Circuit strayed from Supreme Court rules on ineffective-assistance claims under AEDPA. The case focuses on how much deference federal judges owe state courts.

It could change how hard it is for state prisoners to win federal habeas relief based on lawyer errors. States also have an interest in keeping older convictions final.

The next major sign of movement would be an oral-argument setting or another scheduling order. The prompt says no decision window is available yet.