No. 25-385

Charles Ray Crawford v. Mississippi

Lower Court: Mississippi
Docketed: 2025-10-02
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Experienced Counsel
Tags: capital-trial criminal-procedure retroactivity sixth-amendment structural-error teague-rule
Key Terms:
Punishment JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether McCoy v. Louisiana's holding regarding a defendant's right to prevent counsel from conceding guilt applies retroactively under Teague v. Lane

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

In McCoy v. Louisiana , 584 U.S. 414 (2018), this Court held that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the defendant the right to personally decide whether to permit counsel to concede guilt before the jury, and that the trial court’s allowance of such a confession over the defendant ’s objection constitutes structural error. At petitioner’s capital trial, defense counsel conceded petitioner’s guilt before the jury over petitioner’s repeated objections to the trial court. The question presented is whether, under the retroactivity framework established in Teague v. Lane , 489 U.S. 288 (1989), McCoy announced a new rule that does not apply retroactively to convictions that became final before McCoy was decided.

Docket Entries

2025-10-15
Application (25A378) referred to the Court.
2025-10-15
Petition DENIED. Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson dissent. (Detached Opinion)
2025-10-15
Application (25A378) for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is denied. The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied. Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson dissent. (Detached <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a378_0pm1.pdf'>Opinion</a>)
2025-10-14
Reply of Charles Ray Crawford submitted.
2025-10-14
Reply of petitioner Charles Ray Crawford filed.
2025-10-09
Brief of Mississippi in opposition submitted.
2025-10-09
Brief of respondent Mississippi in opposition filed.
2025-10-01
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed.
2025-10-01
Application (25A378) for a stay of execution of sentence of death, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

Charles Ray Crawford
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, Petitioner
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, Petitioner
Mississippi
LaDonna Curtis HollandMississippi Attorney General's Office, Respondent
LaDonna Curtis HollandMississippi Attorney General's Office, Respondent
Brad Alan SmithThe Office of the Mississippi Attorney General, Respondent
Brad Alan SmithThe Office of the Mississippi Attorney General, Respondent