Renico v. Lett
United States Supreme Court
559 U.S. 766, 130 S.Ct. 1855, 176 L.Ed.2d 678 (2010)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Lett (defendant) was charged with murder. His murder trial lasted a total of less than nine hours. The jury deliberated for four hours and then sent a note to the judge saying: “What if we can’t agree? [M]istrial? [R]etrial? [W]hat?” The judge then called the jury back and asked: “Are you going to reach a unanimous verdict, or not?” The jury foreperson responded: “No, judge.” The judge declared a mistrial and discharged the jury. At Lett’s second trial for the murder, a different jury found him guilty after deliberating for three hours and 15 minutes. Lett appealed on double jeopardy grounds. The Michigan Supreme Court denied the appeal. Lett obtained a writ of habeas corpus from the federal district court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to review.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Roberts, C.J.)
Dissent (Stevens, J.)
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