United States Supreme Court

For purposes of 28 USC section 2254(d), which limits the relief a federal habeas court may grant to a state prisoner, when a state court rules against a defendant in an opinion that rejects some of the defendant's claims but does not expressly address a federal claim, a federal habeas court must presume, subject to rebuttal, that the federal claim was adjudicated on the merits, and here: 1) the federal claim at issue here (a Sixth Amendment jury trial claim) must be presumed to have been adjudicated on the merits by the California courts; 2) this presumption was not adequately rebutted; 3) the restrictive standard of review set out in section 2254(d)(2) consequently applies; and 4) under that standard defendant is not entitled to habeas relief.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/20/2013
• Published 02/20/2013

Judges

• ALITO

Court

• United States Supreme Court

Counsel