Supreme Court Resolves Split Over Federal Inmates' Habeas Rights

Source: Bloomberg

A provision of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act requiring federal courts to dismiss certain previously raised habeas corpus claims applies only to state prisoners’ applications, the US Supreme Court said Friday.

“AEDPA is replete with examples of Congress treating state and federal prisoners differently,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the 5-4 court.

The decision resolves a six-to-three circuit split that the justices were eager to resolve over the extent of the law’s applicability.

Significant structural barriers resulted in the question presented in petitioner Michael Bowe’s case having a history of evading review.

Read more: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/supreme-court-resolves-split-over-federal-inmates-habeas-rights