Overview

• The Supreme Court opted not to review a Sixth Circuit decision that overturned David Smith's 22-year conviction for a 2015 hammer attack in Ohio.
• Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, accusing the Sixth Circuit of disregarding legal precedent under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA).
• The Sixth Circuit ruled that the identification process used to convict Smith was overly suggestive, violating his due process rights, and ordered a retrial within six months.
• Thomas argued that the lower court's decision undermines state courts, strains resources, and retraumatizes victims, calling the errors 'particularly egregious.'
• Ohio prosecutors, supported by Attorney General David Yost, defended the original conviction, citing DNA evidence and phone records linking Smith to the crime.