Bowles v. Florida

Statement of Justice SOTOMAYOR respecting the denial of certiorari.

This case implicates important questions related to this Court's decision in Hall v. Florida , 572 U.S. 701 , 134 S.Ct. 1986 , 188 L.Ed.2d 1007 (2014). Hall invalidated a Florida law categorically prohibiting intellectually disabled death-row prisoners with IQs above 70 from raising successful claims under Atkins v. Virginia , 536 U.S. 304 , 122 S.Ct. 2242 , 153 L.Ed.2d 335 (2002). Later, the Florida Supreme Court held that Hall was retroactive. Walls v. State , 213 So.3d 340 , 346 (2016). With one hand, the Florida Supreme…