{"ID":55656,"name":"Smith v. Spisak","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/cases\/2009\/08-724","view_count":0,"docket_number":"08-724","additional_docket_numbers":null,"manner_of_jurisdiction":"Writ of \u003Ci\u003Ecertiorari\u003C\/i\u003E","first_party":"Kevin Smith, Warden","second_party":"Frank G. Spisak, Jr.","timeline":[{"event":"Granted","dates":[1235368800],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40427"},{"event":"Argued","dates":[1255410000],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40428"},{"event":"Decided","dates":[1263276000],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40429"}],"lower_court":{"ID":11,"name":"United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/taxonomy\/term\/11"},"facts_of_the_case":"\u003Cp\u003EFrank Spisak was convicted of murder in an Ohio state court and sentenced to death. Subsequently, he was granted partial habeas corpus relief by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The court held that Mr. Spisak received ineffective counsel at sentencing and the jury instructions at this phase unconstitutionally required the jury to be unanimous when finding mitigating evidence to his sentence. The court ordered a new sentencing trial. The Supreme Court granted certiorari, vacated the judgment, and remanded the case for reconsideration in light of \u003Cem\u003EMusladin\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003ELandrigan\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn remand, the Sixth Circuit reinstated its original holding. It reasoned that \u003Cem\u003EMusladin\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003ELandrigan\u003C\/em\u003E were readily distinguishable from Mr. Spisak\u0027s case and therefore he was still entitled to habeas corpus relief. Moreover, the court noted that although the Supreme Court had not ruled on a set of facts identical to those in Mr. Spisak\u0027s case, the court of appeals was not precluded from finding that the Ohio state court had unreasonably applied federal law.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003E1) Did the Sixth Circuit disobey the directives of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and the Supreme Court\u0027s decision in \u003Cem\u003EMusladin\u003C\/em\u003E when it resolved questions in Mr. Spisak\u0027s favor that were not decided in \u003Cem\u003EMusladin\u003C\/em\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2) Did the Sixth Circuit exceed its authority when it presumed that Mr. Spisak suffered prejudice by allegedly deficient statements made by his counsel at sentencing and ignored the Ohio Supreme Court\u0027s standard for prejudice?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003EYes. Yes. With Justice Stephen G. Breyer writing for the majority and joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, and Justices Antonin G. Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel A. Alito, and Sonia Sotamayor, and Justice John Paul Stevens in part, the Supreme Court reversed the Sixth Circuit. The Court held that the jury instructions in Mr. Spisak\u0027s trial were not \u0022contrary to\u0022 and did not \u0022involve[] an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law.\u0022 The Court further held that even though Mr. Spisak\u0027s counsel\u0027s closing argument was inadequate, it reasoned that there was no \u0022reasonable probability\u0022 that a better closing argument would have made a significant difference in Mr. Spisak\u0027s sentence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJustice John Paul Stevens wrote a separate opinion, concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. He argued that the Sixth Circuit correctly concluded that errors occurred during Mr. Spisak\u0027s trial that violated clearly established federal law. However, Justice Stevens agreed that those errors did not entitle Mr. Spisak to relief as his own conduct \u0022alienated and ostracized the jury\u0022 and \u0022his crimes were monstrous.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n","advocates":[{"advocate":{"ID":39034,"name":"Richard Cordray","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/richard_cordray","view_count":0,"last_name":"Cordray","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"richard_cordray"},"advocate_description":"argued the cause for the petitioner","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/19933"},{"advocate":{"ID":35521,"name":"Michael J. 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