Supreme Court to Rule on Inmate Sentence

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday regarding whether federal courts can entertain late-filed disability claims from death row inmates. The case, involving Texas prisoner Dexter Johnson, forces the justices to weigh the finality of state sentences against evolving medical definitions of intellectual disability.

Johnson was convicted of capital murder for the 2006 killing of Maria Aparece. His scheduled execution in May 2019 was stayed after a federal court ruled he likely met the criteria for intellectual disability. That finding relied on the 2013 release of the DSM-5, a diagnostic manual that shifted clinical focus from rigid IQ thresholds to adaptive functioning deficits.

Legal advocates argue the medical community’s understanding of the condition changed significantly after Johnson’s initial trial. Ethan Nutter, a lawyer filing an amicus brief for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, stated that under current standards, Johnson meets the definition of the disability. He noted that the Supreme Court has previously ruled it unconstitutional to execute individuals with this condition.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Correctional Institutions petitioned the Supreme Court in February 2026 to review the Fifth Circuit’s decision. The state argues that allowing such claims erases strict limits on new evidence. In its brief, the department asserted that for Texas and the families of victims, justice delayed is justice denied.

The case presents a procedural question beyond Johnson’s individual fate. Nutter explained that the core issue is whether a federal court can address a second or successive habeas petition. This determination will influence how strictly courts apply barriers to prisoners challenging their sentences based on new evidence.

Protasio Aparece, the father of the victim, filed an amicus brief supporting the state’s position. His legal team wrote that Protasio has an interest in seeing justice carried out for his daughter and in preventing other families from enduring excessive delays. The court is expected to issue a decision in this case by June 2027.