79 Cited authorities

Tennard v. Dretke
542 U.S. 274 (2004) Cited 5,511 times 4 Legal Analyses
Holding that petitioner was entitled to a COA on his Penry claim where his evidence of low IQ and impaired intellectual functioning had "mitigating dimension beyond the impact it has on the individual's ability to act deliberately"
Chapman v. California
386 U.S. 18 (1967) Cited 23,494 times 28 Legal Analyses
Holding that error is harmless only if "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt"
Atkins v. Virginia
536 U.S. 304 (2002) Cited 3,124 times 54 Legal Analyses
Holding that it violates the Eighth Amendment to execute intellectually disabled defendants
United States v. Cronic
466 U.S. 648 (1984) Cited 7,370 times 30 Legal Analyses
Holding defendant is constructively denied counsel during critical stage of criminal proceedings where counsel, inter alia, "fails to subject the prosecution's case to meaningful adversarial testing"
Crane v. Kentucky
476 U.S. 683 (1986) Cited 3,285 times 6 Legal Analyses
Holding that an opportunity to present a complete defense "would be an empty one if the State were permitted to exclude competent, reliable evidence bearing on the credibility of a confession when such evidence is central to the defendant's claim of innocence"
Chambers v. Mississippi
410 U.S. 284 (1973) Cited 5,980 times 22 Legal Analyses
Holding that the application of the rule against hearsay to exclude exculpatory testimony violated the defendant's right to present a complete defense because the testimony was reliable
Lockett v. Ohio
438 U.S. 586 (1978) Cited 3,737 times 53 Legal Analyses
Holding that the Ohio death penalty statute, which required imposition of the death penalty once a defendant was found guilty of aggravated murder with at least one of seven specified aggravating factors, unless one of three specified mitigating factors was established by a preponderance of the evidence, violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments because the statute limited the range of mitigating factors that the sentencer could consider
Agostini v. Felton
521 U.S. 203 (1997) Cited 1,623 times 6 Legal Analyses
Holding that "lower courts should follow the case which directly controls, leaving to this Court the prerogative of overruling its own decisions"
Penry v. Lynaugh
492 U.S. 302 (1989) Cited 2,079 times 46 Legal Analyses
Holding that Teague principles apply to capital sentencing
Caldwell v. Mississippi
472 U.S. 320 (1985) Cited 2,325 times 23 Legal Analyses
Holding that if improper prosecutorial comment occurs, the sentencing decision "does not meet the standard of reliability that the Eighth Amendment requires"
Section 13
Cal. Const. art. VI § 13 Cited 4,516 times
Requiring a "miscarriage of justice"
Section 15
Cal. Const. art. I § 15 Cited 3,314 times
Affording “the right ... to compel attendance of witnesses in the defendant's behalf”
Section 7
Cal. Const. art. I § 7 Cited 2,117 times 5 Legal Analyses
Guaranteeing due process and equal protection
Section 17
Cal. Const. art. I § 17 Cited 1,409 times
Prohibiting cruel or unusual punishment

PEOPLE v. McCURDY

79 Cited authorities

Holding that petitioner was entitled to a COA on his Penry claim where his evidence of low IQ and impaired intellectual functioning had "mitigating dimension beyond the impact it has on the individual's ability to act deliberately"

Holding that error is harmless only if "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt"

Holding that it violates the Eighth Amendment to execute intellectually disabled defendants

Holding defendant is constructively denied counsel during critical stage of criminal proceedings where counsel, inter alia, "fails to subject the prosecution's case to meaningful adversarial testing"

Holding that an opportunity to present a complete defense "would be an empty one if the State were permitted to exclude competent, reliable evidence bearing on the credibility of a confession when such evidence is central to the defendant's claim of innocence"

Holding that the application of the rule against hearsay to exclude exculpatory testimony violated the defendant's right to present a complete defense because the testimony was reliable

Holding that "lower courts should follow the case which directly controls, leaving to this Court the prerogative of overruling its own decisions"

Holding that Teague principles apply to capital sentencing

Holding that if improper prosecutorial comment occurs, the sentencing decision "does not meet the standard of reliability that the Eighth Amendment requires"

Requiring a "miscarriage of justice"

Affording “the right ... to compel attendance of witnesses in the defendant's behalf”

Guaranteeing due process and equal protection

Prohibiting cruel or unusual punishment