Kansas v. Gleason
Linked with:
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-452 | Kan. | Oct 7, 2015 | Apr 26, 2025 | 8-1 | Scalia | OT 2015 |
Holding: 1) The Eighth Amendment does not require capital-sentencing courts to instruct a jury that mitigating circumstances need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. 2) The Constitution did not require severance of joint sentencing proceedings because the contention that the admission of mitigating evidence by one defendant could have "so infected" the jury's consideration of the other defendant's sentence as to amount to a denial of due process does not stand in light of all the evidence presented at the guilty and penalty phases relevant to the jury's sentencing determination.
Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 8-1, in an opinion by Justice Scalia on April 26, 2025. Justice Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: Few sparks, eight votes for the state in Kansas capital cases (Amy Howe, January 20, 2016)
- Argument preview: Justices to tackle Eighth Amendment -- again (Amy Howe, October 7, 2015)
- Argument analysis: Kansas inmates find skeptical audience at the Court (Amy Howe, October 7, 2015)
- As the 2015 Term opens: The Courts unusual Eighth Amendment focus (Rory Little, September 21, 2015)
- Criminal law grants for the October Term 2015 (Rory Little, July 23, 2015)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| 10/16/2014 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 19, 2014) |
| 12/02/2014 | Order extending time to file response to petition to and including December 19, 2014. |
| 12/19/2014 | Brief of respondent Sidney J. Gleason in opposition filed. |
| 12/19/2014 | Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent Sidney J. Gleason. |
| 12/30/2014 | Reply of petitioner Kansas filed. |
| 01/07/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 23, 2015. |
| 02/09/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 20, 2015. |
| 02/23/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 27, 2015. |
| 03/02/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of March 6, 2015. |
| 03/09/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of March 20, 2015. |
| 03/23/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of March 27, 2015. |
| 03/30/2015 | Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED. |
| 03/30/2015 | Petition GRANTED. |
| 04/13/2015 | Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party recieved from counsel for the petitioner. |
| 04/21/2015 | The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including June 8, 2015. |
| 04/21/2015 | The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 3, 2015. |
| 06/08/2015 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| 06/08/2015 | Brief of petitioner Kansas filed. |
| 06/11/2015 | Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the respondent. |
| 06/12/2015 | Brief amici curiae of Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, et al. VIDED (See 14-449 & 14-450) filed. |
| 06/19/2015 | Motion for scheduling of argument and for divided argument filed by respondents in Nos. 14-449, 14-450 & 14-452. VIDED. |
| 06/29/2015 | Motion for scheduling of argument and for divided argument filed by respondents in Nos. 14-449, 14-450 & 14-452 GRANTED. VIDED |
| 06/29/2015 | Upon consideration of the joint motion of respondents for scheduling of argument and for divided argument, and of the motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument in Nos. 14- 449 and 14-450, the following allocation of oral argument time is adopted. A total of one hour is allocated for oral argument in No. 14-452, and on Question 1 in Nos. 14-449 and 14-450, to be divided as follows: 30 minutes for petitioner, 20 minutes for respondents Jonathan D. Carr and Sidney J. Gleason, and 10 minutes for respondent Reginald D. Carr. A total of one hour is allocated for oral argument on Question 2 in Nos. 14-449 and 14-450, to be divided as follows: 20 minutes for petitioner, 10 minutes for the Solicitor General, 20 minutes for respondent Reginald D. Carr, and 10 minutes for respondent Jonathan D. Carr. VIDED |
| 07/29/2015 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. |
| 08/03/2015 | Brief of respondent Sidney J. Gleason filed. |
| 08/07/2015 | CIRCULATED. |
| 08/12/2015 | Record requested from the Supreme Court of Kansas. |
| 09/02/2015 | Reply of petitioner Kansas (on mitigation instruction question arguments of respondent Gleason, and respondents in 14-449 & 14-450) filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/17/2015 | Record received from the Supreme Court of Kansas. (1 Box). part of the record is electronic. |
| 10/01/2015 | Letter from counsel for petitioner filed. (Distributed) |
| 10/07/2015 | Argued (Burden Question). For petitioner: Derek L. Schmidt, Attorney General, Topeka, Kan. For respondent in 14-452 & 14-449: Jeffrey T. Green, Washington, D. C. For respondent in 14-450: Neal K. Katyal, Washington, D. C. VIDED |
| 01/20/2016 | Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Scalia, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, and Kagan, JJ., joined. Sotomayor, J., filed a dissenting opinion. (Opinion also for Nos. 14-449 & 14-450) |
| 02/23/2016 | Judgment Issued |
| 02/23/2016 | Mandate Issued |