Supreme Court Decision Spares Life of Convicted Murderer with Intellectual Disability
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a case involving Joseph Smith, a convicted murderer in Alabama, whose intellectual disability was disputed. This decision leaves in place a lower court ruling that Smith's cognitive deficits make him ineligible for the death penalty. The case has drawn attention to the standards used to determine intellectual disability in capital cases. Justice Samuel Alito dissented, arguing for clearer guidelines in such cases. The decision reflects ongoing debates about the application of the death penalty to individuals with intellectual disabilities and the role of IQ tests in these determinations. 
