Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Kemp, Warden v. Blake

474 U.S. 998

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1985-11-18
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • Cronic presumption appropriate where state failed to provide examining psychiatrist with defendant’s taped confession and letter written by defendant, both of which strongly supported insanity defense
  • attorney who fails to make preparation for penalty phase deprives client of reasonably effective assistance of counsel
  • psychiatric examination which failed to ascertain the mental status of the defendant at the time of the crime was insufficient under Ake
  • attorney did not prepare for the sentencing phase because he thought his client would be found not guilty of first degree murder by reason of insanity
  • "It should be beyond cavil that an attorney who fails altogether to make any preparations for the penalty phase of a capital murder trial deprives his client of reasonably effective assistance of counsel by any objective standard of reasonableness."
  • counsel failed to present any character witnesses at all

Citator

UpLaw has not yet analyzed Kemp, Warden v. Blake. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.

Cited by
87 opinions

C. A. 11th Cir. Certiorari denied.