Emergency application · Capital case
Right to reject a guilt defense
Charles Ray Crawford v. Mississippi
What did the Court do?
The Court denied the request on October 15, 2025 and refused to halt the execution.
Emergency rulings are temporary and do not decide the underlying case. Justice Sotomayor, Justice Kagan, and Justice Jackson would have ruled the other way.
What's being asked
Crawford, a Mississippi death-row prisoner, asked the Court to pause his execution, scheduled for October 15, and review his challenge. He says his trial lawyers admitted his guilt despite his objections. He says the Mississippi Supreme Court rejected his later petition because McCoy did not apply to cases already final. He argues McCoy applied existing law and should therefore cover his case.
What the Court did
The Court refused to pause Crawford's execution (denied the stay) and refused to hear his case (denied certiorari). Justices Kagan and Jackson dissented (disagreed); the Court did not publish a vote tally. The Court did not decide whether McCoy applies to Crawford's case.
- Dissented
- Vote not published
What it means
The Court refused an emergency pause and declined to hear the case, but did not decide Crawford's underlying legal claim. The Mississippi Supreme Court's decision remains in place; the docket lists no related merits case and no argument date.
Separate writings
- Read (PDF)
SS, dissenting
Sources
Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 25A378. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.