No. 25-5096

Christopher John Spreitz v. Arizona

Lower Court: Arizona
Docketed: 2025-07-14
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Amici (1)Relisted (2)IFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: capital-sentencing constitutional-review death-penalty habeas-corpus mitigating-evidence ninth-circuit
Latest Conference: 2025-10-17 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether in conducting independent sentencing review to cure a constitutional error in a capital case, a court must consider all of the evidence in the record in light of contemporary knowledge and standards;

2. Whether the constitution forbids creating categories of mitigating evidence entitled only to minimal weight absent an undefined "causal nexus" to the offense.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a court must consider all mitigating evidence in capital sentencing review without imposing a causal nexus requirement

Docket Entries

2025-10-20
Petition DENIED.
2025-10-02
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/17/2025.
2025-09-25
Electronic record received from the Supreme Court of Arizona.
2025-09-09
Record Requested.
2025-08-21
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-08-18
Reply of Christopher Spreitz submitted.
2025-08-18
Reply of petitioner Christopher John Spreitz filed. (Distributed)
2025-08-13
Amicus brief of The Arizona Capital Representation Project and Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice submitted.
2025-08-13
Brief amici curiae of Arizona Capital Representation Project, et al. filed.
2025-08-06
Brief of respondent Arizona in opposition filed.
2025-08-04
Brief of Arizona in opposition submitted.
2025-07-07
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 13, 2025)
2025-06-03
Application (24A843) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until July 6, 2025.
2025-05-27
Application (24A843) to extend further the time from June 6, 2025 to July 6, 2025, submitted to Justice Kagan.
2025-03-03
Application (24A843) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until June 6, 2025.
2025-02-26
Application (24A843) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from May 7, 2025 to June 6, 2025, submitted to Justice Kagan.

Attorneys

Arizona
Kevin Michael MorrowKevin Morrow, Respondent
Christopher Spreitz
Amy Pickering KnightPhillips Black, Inc., Petitioner
The Arizona Capital Representation Project and Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
David A. SeniorMcBreen & Senior, Amicus