{"ID":54264,"name":"Simmons v. South Carolina","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/cases\/1993\/92-9059","view_count":0,"docket_number":"92-9059","additional_docket_numbers":null,"manner_of_jurisdiction":"Writ of \u003Ci\u003Ecertiorari\u003C\/i\u003E","first_party":"Jonathan Dale Simmons","second_party":"South Carolina","timeline":[{"event":"Argued","dates":[758872800],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/52403"},{"event":"Decided","dates":[771829200],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/37360"}],"lower_court":{"ID":62,"name":"South Carolina Supreme Court","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/taxonomy\/term\/62"},"facts_of_the_case":"\u003Cp\u003EIn July 1990, Jonathan Dale Simmons beat an elderly woman to death in her home. The week before his trial for capital murder was scheduled to begin, Simmons pled guilty to first-degree robbery and two counts of criminal sexual conduct in connection with two previous assaults. These guilty pleas rendered him ineligible for parole if convicted of any other violent-crime offense. Prior to jury selection, the trial court judge granted the prosecution\u2019s motion to bar any questions pertaining to parole during the jury selection process. Simmons was convicted of murder and brought forth mitigating evidence during the sentencing phase of the trial. In closing arguments, the prosecution focused on the issue of the future danger the defendant presented to society as a reason to sentence him to death. The defense requested that the trial judge give a specific jury instruction clarifying the meaning of \u201clife imprisonment\u201d in this case, and the trial judge refused to do so. The jury sentenced Simmons to death. On appeal, the South Carolina Supreme Court declined to reach a decision on the merits and instead held that the trial judge\u2019s instructions to the jury satisfied the substance of Simmons\u2019 request.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003EDoes a state court\u2019s refusal to instruct a jury in a sentencing trial that a defendant is ineligible for parole violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003EYes. Justice Harry A. Blackmun delivered the opinion of the 7-2 plurality. The Supreme Court held that the lack of a specific instruction regarding the actual consequences of the jury\u2019s decision led to Simmons being sentenced on the basis of essentially false information. The Due Process Clause grants defendants the right to \u201cdeny or explain\u201d the evidence against them, and Simmons was not given the opportunity to do so regarding his potential future danger to society. Because evidence of future dangerousness often plays an important role in sentencing, preventing the jury from having access to the relevant information does not conform to the precedents established in Due Process jurisprudence. The Supreme Court also held that the South Carolina Supreme Court erred in holding that the trial judge\u2019s instructions to the jury were sufficient. The instructions the trial judge gave did nothing to dispel any misunderstanding the jury members might have had regarding the meaning of the possible sentences.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJustice David H. Souter wrote a concurring opinion in which he argued that the trial judge has a responsibility to dispel jury misunderstandings of sentencing terms, particularly when the jury explicitly requests such guidance. Justice John Paul Stevens joined in the concurrence. In her separate concurrence, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote that the most basic right the Due Process Clause protects is the right to be heard, which was denied to Simmons when he was prevented from clarifying his parole situation. Justice Sandra Day O\u2019Connor wrote an opinion concurring in judgment in which she argued that the Due Process Clause guarantees a defendant\u2019s right to rebut the prosecution\u2019s evidence against him. In a sentencing trial in which the prosecution bases its argument on the defendant\u2019s future dangerousness, the Constitution requires that the defendant have the opportunity to provide evidence to the contrary. Proof that the defendant will not be released is sometimes the only way to rebut the prosecution\u2019s evidence. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Anthony Kennedy joined in the opinion concurring in judgment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJustice Antonin Scalia wrote a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority\u2019s opinion creates an overbroad reading of the Due Process Clause\u2019s power to override state law regarding the admissibility of parole information. Such an issue should be left to the states to decide individually, as there is no indication in the Constitution that the Due Process Clause requires such a strict national standard. Justice Clarence Thomas joined in the dissent.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","advocates":[{"advocate":{"ID":20632,"name":"David I. Bruck","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_i_bruck","view_count":0,"last_name":"Bruck","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"david_i_bruck"},"advocate_description":"by appointment of the Court, for the petitioner","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/16249"},{"advocate":{"ID":39423,"name":"Richard A. Harpootlian","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/richard_a_harpootlian","view_count":0,"last_name":"Harpootlian","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"richard_a_harpootlian"},"advocate_description":"for the respondent","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/16250"}],"oral_argument_audio":[{"id":23200,"title":"Oral Argument - January 18, 1994","public_note":null,"unavailable":false,"display_title":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_media\/oral_argument_audio\/23200"}],"citation":{"volume":"512","page":"154","year":"1994","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_citation\/case_citation\/20488"},"decisions":[{"description":null,"votes":[{"member":{"ID":15045,"name":"Harry A. Blackmun","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/harry_a_blackmun","view_count":0,"last_name":"Blackmun","roles":[{"id":2689,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":13755600,"date_end":775890000,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2689"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32712,"mime":"image\/png","size":50281,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/harry_a_blackmun\/harry_a_blackmun.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8821,"identifier":"harry_a_blackmun"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"plurality","joining":null,"seniority":2,"ideology":-1.94,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117929"},{"member":{"ID":15141,"name":"William H. Rehnquist","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/william_h_rehnquist","view_count":0,"last_name":"Rehnquist","roles":[{"id":2787,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":63612000,"date_end":528094800,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2787"},{"id":2788,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1125723600,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2788"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32786,"mime":"image\/png","size":46923,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/william_h_rehnquist\/william_h_rehnquist.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12293,"identifier":"william_h_rehnquist"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":[{"ID":15092,"name":"Sandra Day O\u0027Connor","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor","view_count":0,"last_name":"O\u0027Connor","roles":[{"id":2736,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":370242000,"date_end":1138687200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2736"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32763,"mime":"image\/png","size":49563,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor\/sandra_day_oconnor.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8894,"identifier":"sandra_day_oconnor"}],"seniority":1,"ideology":1.873,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117930"},{"member":{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":[{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"}],"seniority":3,"ideology":-2.599,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117931"},{"member":{"ID":15092,"name":"Sandra Day O\u0027Connor","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor","view_count":0,"last_name":"O\u0027Connor","roles":[{"id":2736,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":370242000,"date_end":1138687200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2736"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32763,"mime":"image\/png","size":49563,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor\/sandra_day_oconnor.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8894,"identifier":"sandra_day_oconnor"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"special concurrence","joining":null,"seniority":4,"ideology":1.014,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117932"},{"member":{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},"vote":"minority","opinion_type":"dissent","joining":null,"seniority":5,"ideology":2.661,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117933"},{"member":{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":[{"ID":15092,"name":"Sandra Day O\u0027Connor","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor","view_count":0,"last_name":"O\u0027Connor","roles":[{"id":2736,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":370242000,"date_end":1138687200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2736"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32763,"mime":"image\/png","size":49563,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor\/sandra_day_oconnor.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8894,"identifier":"sandra_day_oconnor"}],"seniority":6,"ideology":0.883,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117934"},{"member":{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"concurrence","joining":null,"seniority":7,"ideology":-0.223,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117935"},{"member":{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},"vote":"minority","opinion_type":"none","joining":[{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"}],"seniority":8,"ideology":3.422,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117936"},{"member":{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"concurrence","joining":null,"seniority":9,"ideology":-0.202,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/117937"}],"majority_vote":7,"minority_vote":2,"winning_party":"Simmons","decision_type":"plurality opinion","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_decision\/case_decision\/6599"}],"first_party_label":"Petitioner","second_party_label":"Respondent","heard_by":[{"ID":15239,"name":"Rehnquist Court (1993-1994)","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/courts\/rehnquist9","view_count":0,"members":[{"ID":15141,"name":"William H. Rehnquist","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/william_h_rehnquist","view_count":0,"last_name":"Rehnquist","roles":[{"id":2787,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":63612000,"date_end":528094800,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2787"},{"id":2788,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1125723600,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2788"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32786,"mime":"image\/png","size":46923,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/william_h_rehnquist\/william_h_rehnquist.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12293,"identifier":"william_h_rehnquist"},{"ID":15045,"name":"Harry A. Blackmun","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/harry_a_blackmun","view_count":0,"last_name":"Blackmun","roles":[{"id":2689,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":13755600,"date_end":775890000,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2689"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32712,"mime":"image\/png","size":50281,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/harry_a_blackmun\/harry_a_blackmun.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8821,"identifier":"harry_a_blackmun"},{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},{"ID":15092,"name":"Sandra Day O\u0027Connor","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor","view_count":0,"last_name":"O\u0027Connor","roles":[{"id":2736,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":370242000,"date_end":1138687200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2736"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32763,"mime":"image\/png","size":49563,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor\/sandra_day_oconnor.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8894,"identifier":"sandra_day_oconnor"},{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"}],"court_start":744958800,"images":[{"id":12252,"mime":"image\/jpeg","size":52756,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/courts\/rehnquist9.jpg"}],"identifier":"rehnquist9"}],"decided_by":{"ID":15239,"name":"Rehnquist Court (1993-1994)","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/courts\/rehnquist9","view_count":0,"members":[{"ID":15141,"name":"William H. Rehnquist","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/william_h_rehnquist","view_count":0,"last_name":"Rehnquist","roles":[{"id":2787,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":63612000,"date_end":528094800,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2787"},{"id":2788,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1125723600,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2788"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32786,"mime":"image\/png","size":46923,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/william_h_rehnquist\/william_h_rehnquist.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12293,"identifier":"william_h_rehnquist"},{"ID":15045,"name":"Harry A. Blackmun","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/harry_a_blackmun","view_count":0,"last_name":"Blackmun","roles":[{"id":2689,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":13755600,"date_end":775890000,"appointing_president":"Richard Nixon","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2689"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32712,"mime":"image\/png","size":50281,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/harry_a_blackmun\/harry_a_blackmun.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8821,"identifier":"harry_a_blackmun"},{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},{"ID":15092,"name":"Sandra Day O\u0027Connor","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor","view_count":0,"last_name":"O\u0027Connor","roles":[{"id":2736,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":370242000,"date_end":1138687200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2736"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32763,"mime":"image\/png","size":49563,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/sandra_day_oconnor\/sandra_day_oconnor.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":8894,"identifier":"sandra_day_oconnor"},{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"}],"court_start":744958800,"images":[{"id":12252,"mime":"image\/jpeg","size":52756,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/courts\/rehnquist9.jpg"}],"identifier":"rehnquist9"},"term":"1993","location":{"latitude":34.008593,"longitude":-81.03692,"name":"Richland County Circuit Court","street":"1701 Main Street, Room 205","city":"Columbia","province":"SC","postal_code":null,"province_name":"South Carolina"},"opinion_announcement":[{"id":23550,"title":"Opinion Announcement - June 17, 1994","unavailable":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_media\/opinion_announcement_audio\/23550"}],"description":"A case in which the Court held that a state court\u2019s refusal to instruct a jury in a sentencing trial that a defendant is ineligible for parole violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. ","written_opinion":[{"id":4516,"title":"Syllabus","author":null,"type":{"value":"syllabus","label":"Syllabus"},"justia_opinion_id":1959542,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/512\/154\/","judge_full_name":null,"judge_last_name":null,"title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/4516"},{"id":4517,"title":"View Case","author":null,"type":{"value":"case","label":null},"justia_opinion_id":1959543,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/512\/154\/case.html","judge_full_name":null,"judge_last_name":null,"title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/4517"}],"related_cases":null,"justia_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/512\/154\/","argument2_url":null}