Pinholster v. Ayers
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
590 F.3d 651 (2009)
- Written by Eric Miller, JD
Facts
Scott Pinholster (defendant) was tried for a double murder committed in the course of a home robbery. Pinholster’s attorney introduced evidence in the form of testimony from Pinholster’s mother, who stated that she accidentally caused a serious head injury to Pinholster when he was two years old, and that Pinholster’s head went through a windshield in a car accident two or three years later. However, despite the availability of medical evidence indicating brain damage and consequent mental-health issues, Pinholster’s attorney made no further presentation of mitigating evidence. Pinholster was sentenced to death. After exhausting his remedies at the state level, Pinholster filed a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel at the guilt and penalty phases of the original trial. The court affirmed Pinholster’s conviction but found that the attorney had been ineffective at the penalty phase. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s finding as to the penalty phase. The same court then convened en banc. By this point, 25 years had elapsed since Pinholster’s conviction.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Smith, J.)
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