Clarence Wayne Dixon v. David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry
DueProcess Punishment HabeasCorpus JusticiabilityDoctri
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?
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? ‘