Supreme Court Faces Pivotal Decision on Intellectually Disabled Death Row Inmates

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to deliberate on the standards applied to determine intellectual disability in death penalty cases, according to a recent announcement. The appeal, originating from Alabama, concerns Joseph Clifton Smith, who was sentenced to death for a 1997 homicide but later deemed intellectually disabled by lower courts.

The high court's fall session could reshape its 23-year-old precedent that prevents the execution of intellectually disabled individuals, especially in situations where IQ scores hover around the threshold of 70. Previous rulings in 2014 and 2017 have relaxed proof requirements in these borderline cases.

This is the second occasion within a year where technical errors have precipitated early disclosures from the court. Previously, an abortion ruling was inadvertently posted online ahead of schedule. This recent incident involved orders intended for release on Monday, mistakenly circulated early due to a software glitch.

(With inputs from agencies.)