October Term 2005 · Docket 04-980
Does California's death penalty law require weighing special circumstances?
The dispute centers on whether California's statute mandates weighing special circumstances during sentencing.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Ms. Kirkland stated the classification determines how courts assess invalid factors.
Ms. Rivkind argued the jury instructions show the law is a weighing statute.
Justice Souter questioned the differentiation from other states' eligibility factor instructions.
Justice Kennedy noted the distinction is artificial but serves a specific purpose.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 47-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 47-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-7
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case examines how courts treat invalid eligibility factors in capital sentencing.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 11, 2005.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-13
What each side wants
the side that brought the case seeks a ruling that the statute is a weighing law.
the opposing side seeks a ruling that the statute is not a weighing law.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
What each side says
Ms. Kirkland argues the statute is a weighing law under established precedent.
Ms. Rivkind argues the jury instructions clarify the statute is a weighing law.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
What the justices asked
Justice Souter asked if the law calls them special circumstances.
Justice Kennedy asked why the distinction between weighing and non-weighing states exists.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 47-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 47-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-7
Why it matters
The classification determines how courts assess invalid factors in death penalty cases.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 47-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 47-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-7
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-13
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.