No. 21-7829

Clarence Wayne Dixon v. David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-05-11
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: 8th-amendment competency-to-be-executed eighth-amendment execution-standard mental-competency mental-illness non-bizarre-delusions panetti-precedent panetti-v-quarterman schizophrenia
Key Terms:
DueProcess Punishment HabeasCorpus JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does Panetti v. Quarterman foreclose a schizophrenic prisoner from demonstrating that non-bizarre delusions obstruct his rational understanding of the State's reason for his execution?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED FOR REVIEW The Eighth Amendment prohibits a State from executing a prisoner who is insane. Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399 (1986). After Ford, the Court clarified that competency to be executed turns on a two-prong test, which requires consideration of whether: (1) a prisoner suffers from a mental illness and (2) whether that illness “obstructs a rational understanding of the State’s reason for his execution.” Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930, 956-57 (2007). (1) Does Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930 (2007) foreclose a schizophrenic prisoner from demonstrating that non-bizarre delusions obstruct his rational understanding of the State’s reason for his execution? (2) Did the state court contravene and unreasonably apply Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930 (2007), when it failed to consider evidence of non-bizarre delusions that qualify as “delusions” under the diagnostic criteria in assessing whether a schizophrenic prisoner is mentally competent to be executed under the Eighth Amendment? ‘

Docket Entries

2022-05-11
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed.
2022-05-11
Application (21A705) for a stay of execution of sentence of death, submitted to Justice Kagan.
2022-05-11
Response to application from respondent David Shinn filed.
2022-05-11
Brief of respondent David Shinn in opposition filed.
2022-05-11
Reply of applicant Clarence Dixon filed.
2022-05-11
Petition DENIED.
2022-05-11
Application (21A705) referred to the Court.
2022-05-11
Application (21A705) denied by the Court. The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied.

Attorneys

Clarence Dixon
Amanda Christine BassOffice of the Federal Public Defender, Petitioner
David Shinn, et al.
Jeffrey Lee SparksArizona Attorney General, Respondent