Summary
United States Supreme Court case to review a federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which overturned the death sentence of William Weaver. A Jackson County, Missouri jury found Weaver guilty on substantial evidence of murdering Charles Taylor, a key witness in a federal drug case in July 1987. Among Weaver's claims on appeal was that in closing argument at his sentencing hearing the prosecutor made allegedly improper statements which invalidated his sentence. Specifically, the prosecutor told the sentencing jury that he supported the death penalty, that it was their duty, like soldiers, to sentence Weaver to death, and that a death sentence would deter others from committing murder. The Missouri Supreme Court denied the claim and upheld Weaver's conviction and sentence. In 2001, a federal district judge accepted the claim and overturned the sentence. That ruling was affirmed by the Court of Appeals last year. CJLF joined the state's appeal of that ruling to argue that the federal law prohibited the Eighth Circuit court from overturning the Missouri Supreme Court decision unless it misapplied clearly established law or Supreme Court precedent. CJLF pointed out that there is no Supreme Court precedent finding similar statements made in closing argument unconstitutional, and that the Missouri court's review of Weaver's claim was reasonable. The Court decided that, due to some unusual procedural issues in the case, it would not decide the question presented but instead dismiss the case as "improvidently granted." This decision effectively leaves the Eighth Circuit decision requiring a new sentencing hearing in place, but it does not set a Supreme Court precedent either way. [CJLF brief in PDF.]
