Supreme Court sides with Arizona against death row inmates

The Supreme Court ruled against two Arizona death row inmates seeking release who tried to introduce evidence in federal court proceedings beyond what had been presented in state court.

In a 6-3 decision, Justice Clarence Thomas pointed to federal statute and case law to support the conclusion that federal courts are severely limited in what evidence may be brought before them in habeas corpus applications. The court ruled that in the cases of David Martinez Ramirez and Barry Lee Jones, they could not rely on the excuse of ineffective assistance of post-conviction counsel to argue that their lawyers should have previously introduced such evidence.

"[W]e have repeatedly reaffirmed that there is no constitutional right to counsel in state postconviction proceedings" Justice Thomas wrote. He stated that the prisoner has to live with any attorney error unless it rises to the level of being "constitutionally ineffective."