SCOTUS Dismisses Alabama Death Sentence Case In Divided Ruling

They also said that at the time of the crime he performed math at a kindergarten level, spelled at roughly a third grade level, and read at approximately a fourth grade level

The justices reviewed the case to determine how courts should approach borderline cases of intellectual disability. Oral arguments were presented in December.

Rather than issuing a full ruling on the merits, the Supreme Court of the United States dismissed the appeal — an unusual move that leaves the lower court’s ruling in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith intact.