Pitchford v. Cain
Brief Details
- Case No.: 24-7351
- Brief Filed: February 04, 2026
- Jurisdiction: United States Supreme Court
Key Topics in the Brief
Briefs
When Congress passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104- 132, 110 Stat. 1214 (AEDPA), it recalibrated the statutory framework governing federal habeas review of state-court decisions and “changed the standards for granting federal habeas relief.” Schriro v. Landrigan, 550 U.S. 465, 473 (2007). But “Congress did not wash away everything that came before.” Brown v. Davenport, 596 U.S. 118, 134 (2022). Although AEDPA imposed new limitations on habeas relief for applicants in state custody, it also maintained a critical role for federal courts in reviewing state-court decisions on the merits and awarding habeas relief when certain conditions are met.
Author(s)
Barbara E. Bergman, NACDL, Washington, D.C.; Elizabeth B. Wydra, Brianne J. Gorod, and Joshua D. Blecher-Cohen Constitutional Accountability Center, Washington, D.C.
