McWilliams v. Dunn, 582 U.S. __ (2017), is a United States Supreme Court ruling that clarified Ake v. Oklahoma in relation to the case of convicted murderer, rapist and robber James E. McWilliams.[1]
| McWilliams v. Dunn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued April 24, 2017 Decided June 19, 2017 | |
| Full case name | James E. McWilliams v. Jefferson S. Dunn, Commissioner, Alabama Dept. of Corrections, et al. |
| Docket no. | 16-5294 |
| Citations | 582 U.S. __ (more) |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Breyer, joined by Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan |
| Dissent | Alito, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Gorsuch |
The Court ruled 5–4 in favour of Williams on the grounds of the defendant not having access to an independent mental health expert during his trial with the lower appellate court not considering this in the previous appeal, as written in the opinion authored by Justice Breyer.[2]
See also
- Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68 (1985)