Supreme Court's 5-4 Ruling Saves Death-Row Defendant; Kavanaugh Joins Liberal Justices in Majority

Summary

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to spare a death-row defendant, with Justice Kavanaugh joining the liberal justices and Chief Justice Roberts to form the majority, while Justice Gorsuch led the conservative dissent. The article notes that while the outcome is just, the narrow 5-4 split is troubling, though Kavanaugh's vote is consistent with his demonstrated interest in racial discrimination issues in criminal justice.