beard secretary pennsylvania department corrections et al banks argued february decided june counsel record petitioners beard et al scott gartley assistant district attorney pa respondent banks albert flora pa respondent murder conviction death sentence upheld pennsylvania decided mills maryland mckoy north carolina held invalid capital sentencing schemes requiring juries disregard mitigating factors found unanimously respondent state postconviction mills claim rejected state merits turned federal courts ultimately third circuit applied analytical framework set forth teague lane federal habeas petitioners may avail new rules constitutional criminal procedure outside two narrow exceptions concluded mills announce new rule therefore applied retroactively granted respondent relief held mills announced new rule constitutional criminal procedure fall within either teague exception rule applied retroactively pp teague analysis involves process requiring determine defendant conviction became final whether given legal landscape time conviction became final rule sought applied actually new whether falls within either two exceptions nonretroactivity respondent conviction became final mills decided normal rule determining state conviction finality retroactivity review availability direct appeal state courts exhausted time filing certiorari petition elapsed timely petition finally denied applies pennsylvania considered merits respondent mills claim collateral review change conviction finality date subsequent mills pp mills announced new rule reaching conclusion mills mckoy relied line cases beginning lockett ohio lockett general rule sentencer must allowed consider mitigating evidence thought support conclusion mills mckoy capital sentencing schemes require juries disregard mitigating factors found unanimously mandate mills rule cases relied mills mckoy considered obstructions sentencer ability consider mitigating evidence mills innovation rests shift focus individual jurors moreover need guess whether reasonable jurists differed whether lockett line cases compelled mills four dissenting justices mills reasoned nothing prevented jury hearing mitigating evidence lockett control three dissenting justices mckoy concluded lockett remotely support new focus individual jurors mills rule broke new ground applies respondent collateral review falls teague exception pp mills rule fall within either exception argument first exception applies repeatedly emphasized limited scope second exception watershed rules criminal procedure implicating fundamental fairness accuracy criminal proceeding netherland clearly meant apply small core rules requiring observance procedures implicit concept ordered liberty ibid yet find new rule falls exception providing guidance might repeatedly referred rule gideon wainwright altered understanding bedrock procedural elements essential fairness proceeding sawyer smith hesitated hold less sweeping fundamental rules outside exception see netherland supra mills mckoy decided avoid potentially arbitrary impositions death sentence mills rule none primacy centrality rule adopted gideon saffle parks applies narrowly works fundamental shift bedrock procedural essential fundamental fairness supra pp reversed remanded thomas delivered opinion rehnquist scalia kennedy joined stevens filed dissenting opinion souter ginsburg breyer joined souter filed dissenting opinion ginsburg joined jeffrey beard secretary pennsylvania department corrections et petitioners george banks writ certiorari appeals third circuit june justice thomas delivered opinion mills maryland mckoy north carolina held invalid capital sentencing schemes require juries disregard mitigating factors found unanimously case must determine whether rule announced mills mckoy applied federal habeas corpus review defendant whose conviction became final retroactivity analysis set forth teague lane federal habeas corpus petitioners may avail new rules criminal procedure outside two narrow exceptions conclude mills announced new rule fall within either teague exceptions years ago jury convicted respondent george banks counts murder trial sentenced death facts case set forth detail pennsylvania decision affirming respondent conviction sentence direct review see commonwealth banks direct review ended denied certiorari october banks pennsylvania approximately eight months later handed decision mills supra announced constitution forbids imposing requirement jury find potential mitigating factor unanimously factor may considered sentencing decision respondent pursued state postconviction relief theory instructions verdict form given jury case violated mills principle pennsylvania rejected claim merits see commonwealth banks respondent turned federal courts although district denied relief banks horn supp md appeals third circuit reversed respondent death sentence banks horn reaching decision appeals declined apply retroactivity analysis set forth teague lane supra question whether mills applied retroactively respondent necessary appeals view pennsylvania applied mills summarily reversed holding addition performing analysis required aedpa federal considering habeas petition must conduct threshold teague analysis issue properly raised state horn banks per curiam banks remand appeals considered retroactive application mills banks horn recognized primary task determine whether mills announced new rule turn required ascertain whether precedent existing time respondent conviction became final dictated compelled rule mills decisions lockett ohio eddings oklahoma direct progeny appeals distilled rule eighth amendment prohibits barrier sentencer consideration mitigating evidence appeals characterized decision mills merely recogniz ing perceived need unanimity constitute one unconstitutional barrier concluded existing legal landscape compelled decision mills accordingly held mills applied retroactively respondent reinstated remainder previous opinion granting respondent relief death granted commonwealth second petition certiorari case decide whether mills applies retroactively respondent whether pennsylvania unreasonably applied federal law holding mills error respondent case although line cases supports decision mills compel decision mills therefore announced new rule also unable conclude mills rule falls either teague exception particular mills announce watershed rul criminal procedure implicating fundamental fairness accuracy criminal proceeding saffle parks internal quotation marks omitted accordingly reverse judgment ii teague determination whether constitutional rule criminal procedure applies case collateral review involves process see lambrix singletary first must determine defendant conviction became final second must ascertain legal landscape existed graham collins ask whether constitution interpreted precedent existing compels rule saffle supra must decide whether rule actually new finally rule new must consider whether falls within either two exceptions nonretroactivity lambrix supra ordinarily ascertaining date defendant conviction becomes final poses difficulties state convictions final purposes retroactivity analysis availability direct appeal state courts exhausted time filing petition writ certiorari elapsed timely filed petition finally denied caspari bohlen see also clay respondent however urges different rule argues view pennsylvania unique relaxed waiver rule pursuant considered mills claim merits conviction became final teague purposes state decided mills claim brief respondent pennsylvania practice considering forfeited claims capital cases respondent insists conventional notions apply past pennsylvania fact apply relaxed waiver rule death penalty cases see commonwealth dehart commonwealth billa practice abandoned see commonwealth albretcht absolute discretionary commonwealth freeman describing past practice notably pennsylvania expressly stated capital case decline apply mills retroactively commonwealth peterkin state past discretionary declin ing apply ordinary waiver principles capital cases albretcht supra render convictions sentences longer subject direct review nonfinal teague purposes judgment final despite possibility state might discretion decline enforce available procedural bar choose apply new rule law cf wainwright sykes respondent argument reflects fundamental misunderstanding teague teague nonretroactivity principle acts limitation power federal courts grant habeas corpus relief state prisoner caspari federal habeas corpus courts must apply teague considering merits claim whenever state raises question point explained banks see see also explaining appeals erred focusing pennsylvania treatment respondent mills claim make clear teague principle protects reasonable judgments state courts also interest finality quite apart courts teague explained many ways application new rules cases collateral review may intrusive enjoining criminal prosecutions cf younger harris continually forces marshal resources order keep prison defendants whose trials appeals conformed constitutional standards short rule determining state conviction becomes final applies case without modification agree appeals respondent conviction became final see must therefore assay legal landscape ask whether rule later announced mills dictated precedent whether unlawfulness respondent conviction apparent reasonable jurists lambrix supra mills held constitution prohibits requiring jurors find mitigating factors unanimously mckoy mills vacating death sentence jury instructions gave rise substantial probability reasonable jurors may thought precluded considering mitigating evidence found unanimously reaching conclusion mills mckoy relied line cases beginning lockett ohio plurality opinion eddings oklahoma lockett plurality struck ohio death penalty statute prevented sentencer considering mitigating factor certain aspect defendant character record certain circumstances offense defendant proffer ed basis sentence less death holding evidentiary rules exclude relevant mitigating evidence sentencer consideration mills noted previous cases depend source potential barrier sentencer ability consider mitigating evidence asserted rule must apply respect single juror holdout vote finding presence mitigating circumstance ibid see also mckoy supra quoting mills performing analysis generalized lockett rule sentencer must allowed consider mitigating evidence thought support conclusion mills mckoy essential mandate mills rule cases relied mills mckoy specifically considered obstructions sentencer ability consider mitigating evidence mills innovation rests shift focus individual jurors think clear reasonable jurists differed whether lockett principle compelled mills see lambrix need guess mills four justices dissented reasoning nothing prevented jurors hearing mitigating evidence defendant proffered lockett principle control trend continued even mills see saffle parks penry lynaugh franklin lynaugh mckoy dissent also explained mills rule governs sentencer considers evidence evidence considers dissent view lockett line governed latter former see opinion scalia distinction dissent relied saffle parks supra decided day held lockett line cases compel assuming informed rule may instruct sentencer render decision evidence without sympathy observed parks asks us create rule relating mitigating evidence jury must permitted consider making sentencing decision must consider mitigating evidence simple logical difference rules govern factors jury must permitted consider making sentencing decision rules govern state may guide jury considering weighing factors reaching decision ibid thus although lockett principle conceived high level generality thought support mills rule reasonable jurists differed even point follows fortiori reasonable jurists concluded lockett line cases compel given brand new attention mills paid individual jurors relevance distinction drawn saffle distinguishes mills lockett line must conclude mills rule br new ground teague accordingly mills announced new rule apply respondent collateral review unless course falls one teague exceptions teague bar retroactive application new rules constitutional criminal procedure two exceptions first bar apply rules forbidding punishment certain primary conduct rules prohibiting certain category punishment class defendants status offense penry supra see also netherland argument exception applies second exception rules criminal procedure implicating fundamental fairness accuracy criminal proceeding ibid quoting graham repeatedly emphasized limited scope second teague exception explaining clearly meant apply small core rules requiring observance procedures implicit concept ordered liberty supra quoting graham supra qualifying rule central accurate determination innocence guilt unlikely many components basic due process yet emerge graham supra quoting teague supra come surprise yet find new rule falls second teague exception perhaps reason respondent even attempt argue mills qualifies rebut petitioners argument brief petitioners providing guidance might fall within exception repeatedly referred rule gideon wainwright right counsel rule see saffle supra cf gilmore taylor blackmun dissenting gideon overruled betts brady noting betts made abrupt break precedents continued lawyers prosecute everywhere deemed essential protect public interest orderly society similarly defendants charged crime indeed fail hire best lawyers get prepare present defenses government hires lawyers prosecute defendants money hire lawyers defend strongest indications widespread belief lawyers criminal courts necessities luxuries right one charged crime counsel may deemed fundamental essential fair trials countries beginning state national constitutions laws laid great emphasis procedural substantive safeguards designed assure fair trials impartial tribunals every defendant stands equal law noble ideal realized poor man charged crime face accusers without lawyer assist ibid emphasis added see also quoting powell alabama gideon fair say alter ed understanding bedrock procedural elements essential fairness proceeding sawyer smith internal quotation marks omitted contrast hesitated hold less sweeping fundamental rules fall within teague second exception netherland supra example considered retroactivity rule announced simmons south carolina simmons held capital defendant must allowed inform sentencer ineligible parole prosecution argues future dangerousness rejected petitioner argument simmons rule par gideon wainwright emphasizing sweeping nature gideon established affirmative right counsel felony cases supra sawyer smith supra considered whether habeas petitioner make use rule announced caldwell mississippi holding eighth amendment bars imposition death penalty jury led believe responsibility ultimate decision rested elsewhere declined give retroactive effect rule effectively withheld relevant information sentencer see sawyer supra acknowledged caldwell rule intended enhance accuracy capital sentencing fall within second teague exception recognize avoidance potentially arbitrary impositions death sentence motivated mills mckoy mills described two troubling situations theoretically occur absent mills rule eleven jurors example agree six mitigating circumstances existed one holdout juror nevertheless force death sentence similarly jurors agree mitigating circumstances existed outweighed aggravators agree mitigating circumstances present return death sentence see mills see also mckoy describing examples imposition death penalty circumstances reasoned arbitrariness quoting mills supra see also mckoy supra kennedy concurring judgment quite obviously decided mills mckoy avoid possibility eighth amendment jurisprudence concerning capital sentencing directed toward enhancement reliability accuracy sense fact new rule removes remote possibility arbitrary infliction death sentence suffice bring within teague second exception sawyer supra however laudable mills rule might none primacy centrality rule adopted gideon saffle mills rule applies fairly narrowly works fundamental shift understanding bedrock procedural elements essential fundamental fairness internal quotation marks omitted therefore conclude mills rule fall within second teague exception iii hold mills announced new rule constitutional criminal procedure falls within neither teague exception accordingly rule applied retroactively respondent judgment appeals reversed case remanded proceedings consistent opinion ordered jeffrey beard secretary pennsylvania department corrections et petitioners george banks writ certiorari appeals third circuit june justice stevens justice souter justice ginsburg justice breyer join dissenting capital sentencing procedure required jury return death sentence even single juror supported outcome height arbitrariness ante opinion use procedure unquestionably unconstitutional today believe equally respondent death sentence became final reaches different conclusion reads mills maryland announce new rule criminal procedure may applied federal habeas review defendants whose convictions became final mills decided ante opinion however mills simply represented straightforward application longstanding view eighth fourteenth amendments tolerate infliction sentence death legal syste permit unique penalty wantonly freakishly imposed furman georgia per curiam stewart concurring dispute mills concerned jury instructions verdict form majority read create substantial probability reasonable jurors well may thought precluded considering mitigating evidence unless jurors agreed existence particular quoting mills per curiam woodson north carolina plurality opinion recognizing arbitrary imposition penalty violates eighth zant stephens gregg georgia furman supra mandating procedures guarantee full consideration mitigating evidence eddings oklahoma lockett ohio plurality opinion indeed judgment kind arbitrariness enable vote favor death outweigh favor forbearance violate bedrock fairness principles governed trial proceedings centuries rejecting manifestly unfair procedural innovation announce new rule covered teague lane simply affirms fairness principles permit blatant leaves question whether reasonable jurors read pennsylvania jury instructions verdict form impose unanimity requirement respect mitigating circumstances reasons identified third circuit banks horn see also banks horn leaving place relevant portions earlier opinion particularly respect verdict form answer question affirmative affirm judgment appeals jeffrey beard secretary pennsylvania department corrections et petitioners george banks writ certiorari appeals third circuit june justice souter justice ginsburg joins dissenting join justice stevens dissenting opinion case add word way see relation justice breyer dissenting opinion schriro summerlin ante cases line began teague lane determining whether mills maryland new rule constitutional law purpose teague general bar applying rules collateral review invokes perspective reasonable jurists ante quoting lambrix singletary see also ante acknowledges however standard objective presence actual disagreement among jurists even among members conclusively establish rule novelty ante cf wright west concurring judgment objectively reasonable jurist cousin common law reasonable person whose job impose judicially determined standard conduct litigants come similarly function teague standard distinguish developments jurisprudence state judges anticipated expected foresee applying teague engages ongoing process defining characteristics reasonable jurist identifying arguments reasonable jurists accept particular characteristic stake degree reasonable jurist avoid risk certain kind erroneous outcome capital case mills rule protects essentially kind error justice breyer discusses summerlin death sentence arbitrary inaccurate putative expression conscience community ultimate question life death ante quoting witherspoon illinois justice breyer explained summerlin opinion new rules demanding kind accuracy applied teague exception longstanding espousal accurate expression community conscience also inform judgment debatable case newness rule justice stevens says death sentence based upon verdict jurors relied given mitigating circumstance spare defendant life single holdout blocked surely egregious failure express public conscience accurately ante dissenting opinion question presented case ultimately whether deem reasonable thus immunize collateral attack least first teague stage reading precedents accepts risk errors maryland pennsylvania jury instructions verdict form produced concludes compared eddings oklahoma mills shift ed focus obstructions sentencer ability consider mitigating evidence abilities individual jurors reasonable jurist drawn distinction basis ante approach gives considerable weight reasonable jurist analytical capacity pick arguably material differences sets facts relatively less jurist understanding substance principles underlying eighth amendment cases follow furman georgia per curiam although view reasonable jurist inconsistent teague progeny reasons given justice breyer dissent summerlin ante convinced reading teague gives much importance finality capital sentences enough accuracy affirm judgment appeals respectfully dissent footnotes judge sloviter wrote separately express view mills maryland established new rule qualified neither teague lane exception opinion concurring judgment judge sloviter nevertheless posited mills applied respondent pennsylvania unique relaxed waiver doctrine capital cases given determination appeals erred holding mills applied retroactively respondent reach question whether appeals also erred concluding pennsylvania unreasonably applied mills rules fall within referred teague first exception accurately characterized substantive rules subject teague bar schriro summerlin ante slip see also infra although nothing case turns note arguable mills rule fully emerge issued mckoy north carolina see scalia dissenting focus inquiry whether reasonable jurists differ whether precedent compels rule suggest mere existence dissent suffices show rule new appeals erred drawing lockett ohio eddings oklahoma general rule constitution prohibited barrier jury consideration mitigating evidence emphasis added without also acknowledging rule purposes teague analysis automatically extend arguably analogous contexts respect last point reasonable jurists fact differ noted rules properly viewed substantive therefore subject teague bar see supra footnotes justice kennedy made precisely point concurrence mckoy north carolina application death penalty basis single juror vote disturbing important represents imposition capital punishment system described arbitrary capricious mills described result arbitrariness given description apparent result mills fits within line cases forbidding imposition capital punishment basis arbitrary unpredictable fashion means supporting reading even dissenting justices mills maryland challenge majority assumption instructions unambiguously requiring unanimity existence mitigating factor unconstitutional argued reasonable jurors understood order mark mitigating factor sentencing form jurors agree rehnquist dissenting emphasis added recognize justices believe mills occasion consider constitutionality unanimity requirement state conceded point see mckoy scalia dissenting although language mills suggesting unanimity requirement contravene decisions issue plainly presented mills therefore decided mills author justice blackmun disagreed view however maryland instructions issue mills held invalid susceptible two plausible interpretations one interpretations instructions unconstitutional mckoy emphasis original think justice blackmun better argument even one assumes mills dissenters failed defend constitutionality unanimity requirements think issue properly rather condemned requirements overall point remains executing defendant jurors believes appropriate penalty wanto freakis violate eighth fourteenth amendments furman georgia per curiam stewart concurring violation clear today footnotes see netherland holding new rule simmons south carolina jury may misled defendant parole eligiblity prosecutor argues future dangerousness lambrix singletary holding new rule espinosa florida per curiam florida jury consideration vague aggravating factor taints judge later death sentence see also stringer black souter dissenting arguing rule maynard cartwright sentencer weighing among others vague aggravating factor taints death sentence new