October Term 2006 · Docket 05-11304
Can Texas ignore mitigating evidence in death penalty cases?
Smith argues Texas ignored his mitigating evidence. Texas claims the jury considered it anyway.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — 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
Steiker argued the prior ruling barred the jury from weighing Smith's evidence.
Cruz argued two postulates govern the case.
Schaerr argued for the state's position.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 13-27 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 13-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-7 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 25-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 25-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 3-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 3-7 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 3-7
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
Smith seeks a new trial. Texas wants to keep the death sentence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 17, 2007.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-15
What each side wants
Smith wants a new trial. He claims the jury ignored his mitigating evidence.
Texas wants to keep the sentence. It claims the jury considered the evidence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
What each side says
Smith argues the jury instruction barred consideration of his mitigating evidence.
Texas argues the jury considered the evidence despite the instruction.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
What the justices asked
Justice Souter asked if harmless error analysis applies here.
Justice Scalia asked if the jury actually considered the evidence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 13-27 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 13-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-7 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 25-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 25-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 3-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 3-7 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 3-7
Why it matters
This case defines how juries weigh mitigating evidence in death penalty trials.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
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 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 13-27 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 13-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 45-7 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 45-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 25-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 25-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 3-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 3-7 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 3-7
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 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 39-15 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 39-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 47, lines 11-9 — Transcript, file page 47, lines 11-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 21-11 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 21-11
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.