Lawrence v. Florida
United States Supreme Court
549 U.S. 327 (2007)
- Written by Arlyn Katen, JD
Facts
Gary Lawrence (defendant) was convicted of first-degree murder and related offenses and sentenced to death. Lawrence’s direct appeals ended in 1998 after the Florida Supreme Court affirmed his conviction. The United States Supreme Court denied certiorari on January 20, 1998; on January 19, 1999, Lawrence applied for state postconviction relief. The Florida Supreme Court denied relief on November 18, 2002. On March 24, 2003, the United States Supreme Court denied Lawrence’s petition for certiorari. Lawrence filed a federal habeas petition while that petition for certiorari was still pending. The federal district court dismissed Lawrence’s habeas petition as untimely, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to consider whether Lawrence’s habeas petition was timely or could be excused from untimely filing.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Thomas, J.)
Dissent (Ginsburg, J.)
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