Opinion ID: 78421
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Due ProcessMental Retardation

Text: Carroll argues his due process rights were violated when the state court failed to grant an evidentiary hearing on his claim of mental retardation under Atkins. Carroll asserts the records on which the state trial court relied to determine he did not meet the definition of mental retardation under Atkins were incomplete, inconsistent, and analyzed outside the context of a mental retardation hearing. He further contends the record suggests his IQ may be less than 75, and an evidentiary hearing is necessary to conclusively establish his level of intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. Carroll conflates a number of issues in his due process argument, and we believe separating these issues provides clarity in determining both the appropriate legal analysis and the appropriate remedy. We thus construe Carroll's briefs and oral argument as advocating three separate bases of relief: (1) Carroll is entitled to habeas corpus relief because the state court violated his due process rights by failing to grant an evidentiary hearing on his Atkins claim, (2) Carroll is entitled to habeas corpus relief because he is mentally retarded and thus exempt from execution under Atkins, and (3) Carroll is entitled to an evidentiary hearing on his Atkins claim, and we should remand this case to the district court to conduct one. We consider these issues in turn.