Supreme Court Hearing: Texas Death Row Dispute
Justices will hear arguments on whether a federal court can review a new intellectual disability claim raised by a prisoner after his execution date had already passed.
By Lucas Chen ·
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday regarding the legal status of Dexter Johnson, a Texas death row inmate. The court will decide if federal judges can review a new claim of intellectual disability that was not raised during Johnson's initial trial.
Johnson was convicted of capital murder in 2006 for the killing of 23-year-old Maria Aparece. His execution was originally set for May 2019, but a federal court stayed the sentence after his legal team filed a challenge. The defense team introduced the disability claim just days before the scheduled execution date.
The case centers on a shift in medical standards. The American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM-5, in 2013. This update moved away from rigid IQ thresholds and focused instead on adaptive functioning deficits.
Ethan Nutter, a lawyer representing the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in an amicus brief, noted that the medical community's understanding of intellectual disability has changed over the last 10 to 20 years. Nutter stated that under current standards, Johnson meets the definition of the disability. He emphasized that the Supreme Court has previously ruled it is unconstitutional to execute someone with this condition.
Johnson's legal team argued that the DSM-5 update allowed new experts to evaluate him. Under the new framework, Johnson's original trial expert withdrew the premise that had previously blocked a diagnosis. Two additional experts then concluded that Johnson is intellectually disabled.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice asked the Supreme Court to review the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in February 2026. In its brief, the department argued that the lower court erased strict limits on claims based on new evidence. It stated that for the families of victims, justice delayed is justice denied.
Protasio Aparece, the father of the victim, also filed an amicus brief. His legal team wrote that Protasio has an interest in seeing justice carried out and wants to ensure no other family endures decades of excessive delays. The justices are expected to issue a final decision by June 2027.
Source: WDRB
