Supreme Court dismisses Alabama death penalty case

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The Supreme Court has dismissed a case tackling the death penalty, saying they have “no meaningful guidance” to determine how a prisoner should be deemed “too intellectually disabled” to be executed.

The dismissal of “Hamm v. Smith” is unusual in that it comes after the conclusion of arguments. But in a 5-4 decision, the majority of justices felt it was a case they shouldn’t have taken up in the first place.

The case revolves around Joseph Smith, an Alabama man on death row who argues he’s intellectually disabled and thus can’t be put to death. Multiple IQ tests put him on the threshold for an intellectual disability, with the State of Alabama petitioning the Supreme Court to step in after a lower court sided with Smith.

Justices seemed hesitant to rule during arguments, understanding any decision would set a new standard for how states can determine what constitutes an intellectual disability.

As part of the majority opinion, Justice Sotomayor explained they felt the case wasn’t the right vehicle or time to weigh in on the question, with not enough factual record to make an impactful decision.

She wrote: “The Court is not equipped in this case to provide any meaningful guidance on how courts should assess multiple IQ scores,” pointing out even experts disagree on the right way to determine intellectual disability.

Four conservative justices dissented. Justice Thomas wrote, “To avoid execution, Smith tried to convince courts that he is not intelligent enough to be executed. Today, the Court rewards Smith’s efforts.”

Justice Alito in his opinion agreed, claiming their failure to come to a decision adds even more confusion to an already unclear issue.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal leaves in place the lower court’s decision, sparing Smith from the death penalty by determining a holistic approach, not just his IQ scores, points to an intellectual disability. Smith will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.