Metrish v. Lancaster (2012)
- Docket
- 12-547
- Decided
- 2012-01-01
Summary
Question: Was the Michigan Supreme Court's abolition of the diminished capacity defense an "unexpected and indefensible" change? Did the Michigan Court of Appeals err in retroactively applying the change to Lancaster's case? Conclusion: No, no. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion for the unanimous Court. The Supreme Court held that the Michigan Supreme Court ruling eliminating the diminished capacity defense was reasonable as the defense had limited standing in Michigan's jurisprudence and was not encompassed in the legislature's statutory scheme. The Court also held that the retroactive application of the ruling to this case did not violate due process because it represented a foreseeable interpretation of statutory language by the Michigan Supreme Court.