Summary
Federal Ninth Circuit decision overturning a district judge's ruling ordering the parole of San Francisco murderer Carl Irons. In 1984, Irons received a 17-years-to-life prison sentence for shooting and stabbing a neighbor to death then dumping his body in the ocean. In 2001, Irons appealed a decision by the Board of Prison Terms to deny him parole. The state Court of Appeal reviewed the case, deciding that the Board's decision was proper. When he appealed to the federal court, a magistrate was appointed to consider his claim. In 2004, the magistrate recommended that Irons be released based on Ninth Circuit precedent not accepted by the California courts or required by the U.S. Supreme Court. When a federal district judge adopted this recommendation and ordered Iron's release, California appealed. CJLF joined the case to argue that federal rules adopted by Congress prohibit federal courts from overturning a state appeals court decision, unless the state court misapplied United States Supreme Court precedent. Because there was no misapplication of law or binding precedent by the California Court of Appeal, the federal judge had no authority to re-decide Irons' claim. The Ninth Circuit decision agreed. [CJLF brief in PDF.]
