SCOTUS narrowly spares 'intellectually disabled' murderer from execution
The Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 to spare the life of Joseph Clifton Smith, an inmate deemed 'intellectually disabled' and previously sentenced to death. The court dismissed Alabama's appeal, which argued that Smith's IQ scores indicated he was competent for execution. This decision leaves unresolved how to assess conflicting IQ scores in determining intellectual disability in capital cases.
- ▪The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold a lower court ruling that executing Joseph Clifton Smith would violate the Eighth Amendment.
- ▪Smith's case raises questions about the criteria for determining intellectual disability based on IQ scores.
- ▪Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested a case-by-case approach for assessing multiple IQ scores, while dissenting justices criticized the court for not providing clearer guidelines.
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| Canonical URL | https://abcnews.com/Politics/supreme-court-narrowly-spares-intellectually-disabled-murderer-execution/story?id=133187107 |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 14:27:49 -0400 |
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ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsGood Morning AmericaShopGMAInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onSupreme Court narrowly spares 'intellectually disabled' murderer from executionThe justices voted 5-4 to dismiss Alabama's appeal.ByDevin DwyerMay 21, 2026, 2:20 PM0:26STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images In a rare move on Thursday, the Supreme Court spared the life of an "intellectually disabled" death row inmate, dismissing an appeal by Alabama officials who claimed the man's multiple IQ scores show he is competent and eligible for execution.The justices were narrowly divided, 5-4, in allowing a lower court ruling to stand that determined death for Joseph Clifton Smith, a convicted first-degree murderer,…
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