Capital Punishment Virgina

Two Virginia men on death row won reprieves from the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices concluded that conservative judges in Richmond had wrongly closed the courthouse door to their appeals. While federal judges should be cautious about second-guessing the handling of state cases, they should intervene when "clearly established" constitutional rights have been ignored, the justices said.

Two Virginia men on death row won reprieves from the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices concluded that conservative judges in Richmond had wrongly closed the courthouse door to their appeals. While federal judges should be cautious about second-guessing the handling of state cases, they should intervene when "clearly established" constitutional rights have been ignored, the justices said.