Williams v. Pennsylvania
Williams v. Pennsylvania | |
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Argued February 29, 2016 Decided June 9, 2016 | |
Full case name | Terrance Williams, Petitioner v. Pennsylvania |
Docket no. | 15–5040 |
Citations | 579 U.S. ___ (more) 136 S. Ct. 1899; 195 L. Ed. 2d 132 |
Opinion announcement | Opinion announcement |
Case history | |
Prior | Commonwealth v. Williams, 629 Pa. 533, 105 A.3d 1234 (2014); cert. granted, 136 S. Ct. 28 (2015). |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | Kennedy, joined by Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan |
Dissent | Roberts, joined by Alito |
Dissent | Thomas |
Laws applied | |
U.S. Const. amends. VIII, XIV |
Williams v. Pennsylvania, 579 U.S. ___ (2016), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that a prosecutor involved in seeking the death penalty for a defendant should recuse himself if asked to judge an appeal in the capital case.[1][2]
Background[]
Terrance Williams was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder and robbery of Amos Norwood and then appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The Chief Justice of the state court by that point was Ronald Castille, who had been the local District Attorney of Philadelphia throughout Williams’ trial, sentencing, and appeal, and who had personally authorized his office to seek the death penalty in this case. The attorneys for Williams asked the justice to recuse himself but Castille refused.
Opinion of the Court[]
Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy authored the majority opinion.[2]
References[]
External links[]
- Text of Williams v. Pennsylvania, 579 U.S. ___ (2016) is available from: Justia Oyez (oral argument audio) Supreme Court (slip opinion)
- SCOTUSblog coverage
- United States Supreme Court cases
- United States Supreme Court cases of the Roberts Court
- 2016 in United States case law
- Conflict of interest mitigation
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- United States death penalty case law
- Capital punishment in Pennsylvania
- Crime in Philadelphia
- United States Supreme Court stubs