Shell v. Mississippi

U.S.

Court: Supreme Court of the United States

Citations: 498 U.S. 1, 112 L. Ed. 2d 1, 111 S. Ct. 313, 1990 U.S. LEXIS 5501, SCDB 1990-001

Decision Date: 10/29/1990

Docket Number: No. 89-7279

Jurisdiction: U.S.

Bluebook Citation: Shell v. Mississippi, 498 U.S. 1, 112 L. Ed. 2d 1, 111 S. Ct. 313, 1990 U.S. LEXIS 5501, SCDB 1990-001 (1990)

More Cases: U.S. decisions from 1990

SHELL v. MISSISSIPPI

majority Per Curiam.

The motion of petitioner for leave to proceed informa pau-peris and the petition for a writ of certiorari are granted. To the extent that the Mississippi Supreme Court relied on the “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” aggravating factor in affirming petitioner’s death sentence, its decision is reversed. See Maynard v. Cartwright, 486 U. S. 356 (1988). Although the trial court in this case used a limiting instruction to define the “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” factor, that instruction is not constitutionally sufficient. See Godfrey v. Georgia, 446 U. S. 420 (1980); Cartwright v. Maynard, 822 F. 2d 1477, 1489-1491 (CA10 1987) (en banc), aff’d, 486 U. S. 356 (1988). The case is remanded to the Mississippi Supreme Court for further consideration in light of Clemons v. Mississippi, 494 U. S. 738 (1990).

It is so ordered.

Chat with this case using AI

Ask CiteLaw's AI Navigator anything about this case, check whether it is still good law, and see every case that cites it. Sign up for CiteLaw free today to get started.