{"argument_date":"2018-10-02T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2018-10-02T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","paragraphs":["Bryan Stevenson argued Madison suffers from acute vascular dementia.","He stated Madison cannot fully orient to time and place.","Alabama's advocate argued no objective evidence supports a national consensus.","The advocate claimed this consensus would support a rule barring execution."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 31-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 31-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 9-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 36-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 8-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 8-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 22-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 22-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 36-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 36-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 8-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"}]}],"caption":"Madison v. Alabama","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:20.631048Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Vernon Madison claims his dementia prevents him from understanding his execution. Alabama argues his memory loss does not bar the sentence.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2018-10-02T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/17-7505.html","primary_docket":"17-7505","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T18:13:24.073167Z","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":["Madison v. Alabama"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 2, 2018."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 9-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Madison wants the Court to bar his execution due to his dementia.","Alabama wants the Court to allow the execution despite his memory loss."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Madison argues his dementia renders him incompetent for execution.","Alabama argues no national consensus supports barring execution for memory loss."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Alito asked if memory loss alone renders a person incompetent.","Justice Ginsburg asked what additional factors define incompetence."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 31-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 31-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 36-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 8-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 8-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 22-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 22-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 36-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 36-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 8-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the mental state required for a lawful execution. It determines whether dementia prevents a state from carrying out a death sentence."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}]},{"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 4, lines 31-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 31-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 9-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 36-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 8-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 8-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 22-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 22-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 36-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 36-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 8-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"}]}],"slug":"2018-17-7505-madison-v-alabama","term":"2018","title":"Can a state execute a prisoner who cannot remember the crime?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 26-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 26-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 16-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-7505_kimp.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 16-30"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}