Overview
- Oral arguments in Hamm v. Smith focus on how courts should weigh multiple IQ results close to 70 when assessing intellectual disability under the Eighth Amendment.
- Joseph Clifton Smith, 55, recorded five IQ scores between 72 and 78, and lower federal courts vacated his death sentence after a holistic review of testing, adaptive deficits and life history.
- Alabama contends that scores above 70 defeat his claim and argues the lower courts misread Supreme Court precedent on test error and adaptive functioning.
- The U.S. Justice Department and 20 states back Alabama’s position, while the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association urge evaluations that go beyond test numbers.
- A ruling expected by June 2026 could redefine how death-row disability claims are evaluated nationwide and determine whether Smith remains ineligible for execution.