United States Fourth Circuit

The district court erred when it dismissed plaintiff-death row inmate's successive federal habeas petition before holding an evidentiary hearing on whether he is mentally retarded under Virginia law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/17/2005
• Published 02/17/2005

Judges

• Before LUTTIG and GREGORY, Circuit Judges, and W. Craig BROADWATER, United States District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia, sitting by designation.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  David William Ogden, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellant.  Robert Quentin Harris, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  David P. Donovan, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, L.L.P., McLean, Virginia;  Lara Ann Englund, Alison J. Nathan, Edward N. Siskel, Eric J. Hougen, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellant.  Jerry W. Kilgore, Attorney General of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.  Paul M. Smith, Kathleen R. Hartnett, Jenner & Block, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Amicus Supporting Appellant.