Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether counseling an intellectually disabled client to plead to life without parole to avoid the death penalty is ineffective assistance
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1) Whether counseling an intellectually disabled client to plead to life without parole to avoid the death penalty is ineffective assistance, when plea counsel was unaware of both Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002) and the definition of intellectual disability? 2) Does counsel’s failure to inform an intellectually disabled client of his ineligibilty for the death penalty before pleading him to life without parole constitute effective assistance, as held by the Supreme Court of Missouri, or is such failure ineffective, violating basic standards of capital representation, as held by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals? 1
2020-05-20
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/4/2020.
2020-05-19
Reply of petitioner Ronald Johnson filed. (Distributed)
2020-04-02
Motion to delay distribution of the petition for a writ of certiorari until May 20, 2020, granted.
2020-04-01
Motion of petitioner to delay distribution of the petition for a writ of certiorari under Rule 15.5 from April 16, 2020 to May 20, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-03-27
Brief of respondent State of Missouri in opposition filed.
2020-02-05
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 30, 2020.
2020-02-04
Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 28, 2020 to March 30, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-01-29
Response Requested. (Due February 28, 2020)
2020-01-23
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/21/2020.
2020-01-15
Waiver of right of respondent State of Missouri to respond filed.
2019-12-30
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due February 3, 2020)