U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS CRIMINAL CONVICTION

The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a Michigan Defendant. In Renico v. Lett, the Court held that jeopardy did not attach when a Trial Judge dismissed a deadlocked jury; the Judge had found the jury to have sufficiently deliberated.

In this holding, the Supreme Court made clear that no bright line rule will be adopted in determining whether a jury has sufficiently deliberated before declaring a mistrial. The Court also held that the Michigan Supreme Court's original denial of relief, which was overturned by the Sixth Circuit, was not an unreasonable application of federal law. Accordingly, the Sixth Circuit erred in granted relief under 28 U.S.C. 2254.