Independent and Adequate State Ground
Definition
Standard of review used to determine whether the United States Supreme Court will hear a case from a state, under which the Court will not hear a case decided on independent and adequate state grounds. However, if the state ground is without any fair or substantial support, the Court may review the case. In the habeas corpus context, the independent-and-adequate-state-ground doctrine may apply to limit federal district courts’ review of state prisoners’ claims.