Riley v. Louisiana
Headline: Grants review, vacates the lower-court judgment, and remands for reconsideration under Montgomery, affecting requests for retroactive relief by people serving mandatory life-without-parole sentences.
Holding:
- Directs lower courts to re-evaluate cases under Montgomery v. Louisiana.
- Leaves final entitlement to relief undecided and subject to lower-court review.
- Allows an indigent filer to proceed without paying court fees.
Summary
Background
A person who had sought review of a decision by the Louisiana Court of Appeal asked the Justices to take the case. The Court allowed the person to proceed without paying fees, granted the petition for review, vacated the judgment below, and sent the case back to the Louisiana Court of Appeal for further consideration in light of Montgomery v. Louisiana.
Reasoning
The central question was whether the person is entitled to retroactive relief based on the Court’s decision in Montgomery. Rather than decide that question on the merits, the Supreme Court held the petition, vacated the lower court’s judgment, and remanded so the state court can reconsider the case under Montgomery. The Court’s brief disposition did not resolve whether the person actually gets relief or whether other legal obstacles apply.
Real world impact
Lower courts in Louisiana must now re-evaluate the case applying Montgomery, which may affect other similar cases about life-without-parole sentences. The Supreme Court’s action is not a final decision on whether relief is warranted; it simply directs reconsideration. The allowance to proceed without fees also enabled this review to go forward for the person who brought the petition.
Dissents or concurrances
Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Alito, wrote separately to stress that the Court’s vacatur and remand does not express any view on entitlement to relief and that state-law grounds, waiver by plea agreements, or whether a sentence truly is mandatory life without parole should be considered on remand.
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