Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20-507_h315.pdf
Page Number: 1

Cite as:  592 U. S. ____ (2021) 

1 

Per Curiam 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 
TONY MAYS, WARDEN v. ANTHONY DARRELL 
DUGARD HINES 

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED 
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT 

No. 20–507.  Decided March 29, 2021 

  PER CURIAM. 
  A Tennessee jury found Anthony Hines guilty of murder-
ing  Katherine  Jenkins  at  a  motel.    Witnesses  saw  Hines 
fleeing in the victim’s car and wearing a bloody shirt, and 
his family members heard him admit to stabbing someone 
at the motel.  But almost 35 years later, the Sixth Circuit 
held  that  Hines  was  entitled  to  a  new  trial  and  sentence 
because his attorney should have tried harder to blame an-
other man.  In reaching its conclusion, the Sixth Circuit dis-
regarded the overwhelming evidence of guilt that supported 
the  contrary  conclusion  of  a  Tennessee  court.    This  ap-
proach plainly violated Congress’ prohibition on disturbing 
state-court judgments on federal habeas review absent an 
error that lies “ ‘beyond any possibility for fairminded disa-
greement.’ ”    Shinn  v.  Kayer,  592  U. S.  ___,  ___  (2020) 
(per curiam) (slip op., at 1); 28 U. S. C. §2254(d).  We now 
reverse. 

I 
  On  March  1,  1985,  Hines  boarded  a  bus  traveling  from 
Raleigh, North Carolina, to Bowling Green, Kentucky.  His 
girlfriend and her mother had given him the bus ticket and 
$20.  Hines also carried with him a hunting knife concealed 
beneath his shirt.  When the mother asked about the knife, 
Hines explained: “ ‘I never go anywhere naked.’ ”  “ ‘I always 
have my blade.’ ”  Record in Hines v. Carpenter, No. 3:05–
cv–00002 (MD Tenn.), Doc. 173–4, p. 112. 
  Hines’ travels brought him to the outskirts of Nashville,