A Supreme Court decision earlier this year that barred nonunanimous jury convictions should be applied retroactively to existing split-jury convictions, the lawyer for a Louisiana inmate imprisoned for life told the justices.
Oral argument took place over 86 minutes telephonically on Dec. 2, in the case known as Edwards v. Vannoy, an appeal from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Only 60 minutes had been allotted for the hearing.
