By: Derek Hawkins//June 21, 2017//
United States Supreme Court
Case Name: Virginia, et al v. Dennis LeBlanc
Case No.: 16-1177
Focus: Court Error – Habeas Corpus Relief
Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), a state prisoner is eligible for federal habeas relief if the underlying state court merits ruling was “contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law” as determined by this Court. 28 U. S. C. §2254(d)(1). In this case, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that this demanding standard was met by a Virginia court’s application of Graham v. Florida, 560 U. S. 48 (2010). The question presented is whether the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the state court’s ruling involved an unreasonable application of this Court’s holding.
Petition Granted
Dissenting:
Concurring: Ginsburg