Teague v. Lane explained

Litigants:Teague v. Lane
Arguedate:October 4
Argueyear:1988
Decidedate:February 22
Decideyear:1989
Fullname:Frank Teague v. Michael P. Lane (Director of Illinois Department of Corrections) and Michael O'Leary (Warden of Stateville Correctional Center)
Usvol:489
Uspage:288
Parallelcitations:109 S. Ct. 1060; 103 L. Ed. 2d 334
Prior:Habeas corpus petition denied by District Court; reversed, 779 F.2d 1332 (7th Cir. 1985); affirmed on rehearing en banc, 820 F.2d 832 (7th Cir. 1987).
Subsequent:None
Holding:In habeas corpus proceedings, only a limited set of important substantive or procedural rights will be enforced retroactively or announced prospectively.
Majority:O'Connor
Joinmajority:Rehnquist, White, Scalia and Kennedy (Parts I, II, III); Blackmun, Stevens (Part II only)
Plurality:O'Connor
Joinplurality:Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy (Parts IV and V)
Concurrence:White (in part in the judgment)
Concurrence2:Blackmun (in part and in the judgment)
Concurrence3:Stevens (in part and in the judgment)
Joinconcurrence3:Blackmun (Part I only)
Dissent:Brennan
Joindissent:Marshall
Overruled:Edwards v. Vannoy (2021) (in part)

Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288 (1989), was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with the application of newly announced rules of law in habeas corpus proceedings. This case addresses the Federal Court's threshold standard of deciding whether Constitutional claims will be heard. Application of the "Teague test" at the most basic level limits habeas corpus.

Background

The appeal was from a black defendant who was convicted by an all white jury in Illinois in a state court located in Cook County. The prosecutor had used all 10 of his peremptory challenges to exclude African American jurors but claimed he was trying to get a balance of men and women on the jury.

Opinion of the Court

The majority held that the actions of the prosecutor did not follow contemporary criminal procedure but that the Batson challenge principle should not be applied retroactively.

See also