Rice v. Collins, 546 U.S. 333 (2006)
Primary Holding
A federal court must defer to reasonable state-court determinations of fact in a habeas corpus case and cannot set aside those determinations based on its own interpretations of the record.
In the case of Rice v. Collins, the Supreme Court decided that federal courts should respect reasonable decisions made by state courts, especially when it comes to facts in legal cases. This is important because it helps ensure that state court rulings, like those concerning jury selection and potential bias, are upheld unless there's a clear mistake. For consumers, this means that if you're involved in a legal case and believe there was unfair treatment, the initial state court's findings will be given significant weight, which can affect how your case is handled in higher courts.
AI-generated plain-language summary to help you understand this case
In the case of Rice v. Collins, 546 U.S. 333 (2006), the underlying dispute arose from the conviction of Steven Martell Collins for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, which occurred after a four-day trial in the Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County. Collins challenged the prosecutor's decision to strike a young African-American woman, Juror 16, from the jury panel, arguing that the strike was racially motivated. During the trial, the prosecutor provided several race-neutral reasons for the strike, including Juror 16's demeanor, youth, and lack of community ties. The trial court ultimately rejected Collins' challenge, stating that it would give the prosecutor the benefit of the doubt regarding the strike. The procedural history of the case involved Collins appealing his conviction to the California Court of Appeal, which upheld the trial court's ruling on the peremptory challenge. The appellate court found that the reasons provided by the prosecutor were legitimate and that the trial court had conducted an adequate inquiry into the matter. Collins then sought review from the Supreme Court of California, which denied his petition without comment. Subsequently, Collins filed a federal habeas corpus petition, which was heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Collins, leading to the Supreme Court granting certiorari to address the issue. The relevant background context includes the legal framework surrounding peremptory challenges and racial discrimination in jury selection, established by the Supreme Court in Batson v. Kentucky (1986) and further refined in California cases such as People v. Wheeler (1978). The Ninth Circuit's decision to overturn the state court's ruling was based on its interpretation of the evidence and the application of these precedents. However, the Supreme Court's review focused on whether the Ninth Circuit had overstepped its authority by disregarding the reasonable factual determinations made by the state courts regarding the prosecutor's conduct.
Whether the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit erred in setting aside the California courts' determination that the prosecutor's peremptory strike of Juror 16 was based on race-neutral reasons, in violation of the standards established by Batson v. Kentucky.
The judgment is reversed.
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Decision Date
- December 5, 2005
- Jurisdiction
- federal
- Case Type
- landmark
- Majority Author
- Kennedy
- Damages Awarded
- N/A
- Data Quality
- high
Fry v. Pliler, 551 U.S. 112 (2007)
Mixed OutcomeA federal habeas court must assess the prejudicial impact of constitutional error in a state-court criminal trial under the "substantial and injurious effect" standard established in Brecht v. Abrahamson, even when the state appellate court failed to recognize the error and did not review it for harmlessness.
Cunningham v. California, 549 U.S. 270 (2007)
Consumer WonThe California determinate sentencing law violates a defendant's right to a jury trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments by allowing a judge to impose a sentence above the statutory maximum based on facts not found by a jury or admitted by the defendant.
Johnson v. California, 545 U.S. 162 (2005)
Consumer WonTo establish a prima facie case of racial discrimination in jury selection under Batson v. Kentucky, a defendant does not need to show that it is more likely than not that the peremptory challenges were based on impermissible group bias; rather, the defendant must only demonstrate that the circumstances raise an inference of discrimination.
Schriro v. Landrigan, 550 U.S. 465 (2007)
Consumer LostThe decision to grant an evidentiary hearing in federal habeas relief cases rests within the discretion of the district court, and such a hearing is not warranted if the applicant cannot make out a colorable claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.