{"argument_date":"2002-02-20T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-02-20T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","paragraphs":["Atkins's lawyer cites individualized sentencing precedents.","Virginia's lawyer notes the practice dates to 1789.","Virginia's lawyer cites eighteen states allowing the practice."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-7"}]}],"caption":"Atkins v. Virginia","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.385325Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.396498Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Daryl Atkins challenges Virginia's execution order. He argues the Eighth Amendment bans this practice. Virginia defends its right to carry out the sentence.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-02-20T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-8452.html","primary_docket":"00-8452","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:11:53.183218Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The case tests whether executing people with intellectual disabilities violates the Constitution. It pits individual rights against state sentencing authority."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 20, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-7"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Atkins seeks a constitutional ban on executing people with intellectual disabilities.","Virginia seeks to keep the power to execute Atkins."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Atkins argues individualized sentencing rules forbid this execution.","Virginia argues long-standing practice supports the state's authority."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Does the Eighth Amendment prohibit executing people with intellectual disabilities?","How should courts assess disability during sentencing?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-7"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of capital punishment. It protects vulnerable individuals from state execution. It shapes sentencing standards nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 5-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 5-7"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-8452-atkins-v-virginia","term":"2001","title":"Can states execute people with intellectual disabilities?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-8452.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-3"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}