Justices Reject Claim Court Defied Their Ruling in Capital Case

The US Supreme Court refused to review whether a lower court defied its instruction in ruling for a South Carolina man on death row.

At issue in the petition denied on Monday was the effect of the justices’ 2022 ruling in Shinn v. Ramirez. A divided court limited the evidence that federal courts could consider in reviewing state criminal convictions.

Following that ruling, the justices summarily undid Sammie Louis Stokes’ appeal and sent it back to the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit so that court could apply Shinn.

On appeal, the Fourth Circuit declined to do ...