Williams v. Taylor (Terry Williams)
Williams v. Taylor | |
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Holding | |
The judgment is reversed, and the case is remanded. | |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | Stevens (parts I, III, and IV), joined by O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer |
Majority | O'Connor, joined by Rehnquist, Kennedy, Thomas; Scalia (except for the footnote) |
Plurality | Stevens (parts II and V), joined by Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer |
Concurrence | O'Connor (in part and in judgment), joined by Kennedy |
Concur/dissent | Rehnquist, joined by Scalia, Thomas |
Williams v. Taylor,
Background
Williams then filed a habeas petition in federal court, and the federal judge concluded that Williams' death sentence was constitutionally invalid due to the ineffective assistance of counsel identified by his original trial judge. This federal judge also concluded that the Virginia Supreme Court's prior denial of state habeas relief to Williams "was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law", and thus grounds for federal habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. §2254(d)(1), a provision of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed this ruling, holding that §2254(d)(1) bars federal habeas courts from granting relief to state prisoners unless the state court that previously adjudicated their claim "decided the question by interpreting or applying the relevant precedent in a manner that reasonable jurists would all agree is unreasonable".[3]
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court faced two questions in this case: whether Williams had indeed received ineffective assistance of counsel, thereby violating his constitutional rights under the Sixth Amendment, and whether the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to uphold his sentence "was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States", one of the two circumstances in which AEDPA permits federal habeas courts to grant relief to state prisoners. Ultimately, it answered both questions in the affirmative.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Williams v. Taylor". Oyez. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- Va.1987).
- ^ Williams v. Taylor, 163 F.3d 860, 865 (4th Cir. 1998) ("In other words, habeas relief is authorized only when the state courts have decided the question by interpreting or applying the relevant precedent in a manner that reasonable jurists would all agree is unreasonable.").
External links
- Text of Williams v. Taylor is available from: Cornell Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)