By: Derek Hawkins//April 5, 2018//
United States Supreme Court
Case Name: Ayestas aka Zelaya Corea v. Davis, Director, Texas Department of Justice
Case No.: 16-6795
Focus: Court Error – Improper Legal Standard
Petitioner Carlos Ayestas, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in a Texas court, argues that he was wrongfully denied funding for investigative services needed to prove his entitlement to federal habeas relief. Petitioner moved for funding under 18 U. S. C. §3599(f), which makes funds available if they are “reasonably necessary,” but petitioner’s motion was denied. We hold that the lower courts applied the wrong legal standard, and we therefore vacate the judgment below and remand for further proceedings.
Vacated and Remanded
Dissenting:
Concurring: SOTOMAYOR, J., filed a concurring opinion, in which GINSBURG, J., joined.