Thanks for visiting! Welcome to a new way to research case law. You are viewing a free summary from Descrybe.ai. For citation and good law / bad law checking, legal issue analysis, and other advanced tools, explore our Legal Research Toolkit — not free, but close.
Coleman v. Thompson
Citations: 119 L. Ed. 2d 1; 112 S. Ct. 1845; 504 U.S. 188; 1992 U.S. LEXIS 3118Docket: A-877 (91-8336)
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; May 20, 1992; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
Roger Keith Coleman has undergone extensive judicial review over eleven years in a murder case, culminating in the denial of his request for a stay of execution. The District Court concluded that Coleman failed to provide a credible claim of innocence, stating that his evidence did not constitute a "colorable claim." Despite his attempts to challenge an expert's genetic analysis that implicated him, the Court found no substantial evidence supporting his innocence. The ruling distinguishes Coleman's case from that of Leonel Herrera, where the evidence warranted further inquiry. In Coleman's situation, the District Court reviewed his claims and rejected them on their merits. Consequently, the application for a stay of execution was denied by the full Court, with Justice Stevens concurring and suggesting that Coleman's petition for a writ of certiorari should also be denied. Justice Blackmun dissented, expressing concern over the Court's refusal to hear Coleman's evidence of innocence, particularly in light of the upcoming case involving Herrera, which raises similar issues. Blackmun argued that Coleman should not be denied relief simply due to procedural timing, urging for a stay of execution. Justice Souter also supported granting the stay.