Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case of Texas Inmate with Intellectual Disability

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the case of Victor Saldaño, a Texas inmate convicted of murder in 1996. Saldaño's lawyers argued he is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution under the Constitution.

Key Details

Saldaño was convicted of murder during a robbery; his initial legal team did not raise the claim of intellectual disability.

The Texas Office of Capital Forensic Writs, a state public defender's office, later evaluated Saldaño and reported an IQ of 74, within the range that could exclude him from execution.

Director Ben Wolff of the Forensic Writs office gathered testimony from neighbors, family, and teachers in Argentina, indicating Saldaño exhibited delusional behavior and difficulty with basic instructions.

Prosecutors representing the state of Texas agreed that Saldaño should not be eligible for the death penalty.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected the argument, leading to the appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to deny review; the three liberal justices dissented.

Statement from the Defense

"Every expert who has evaluated Mr. Saldaño for intellectual disability agrees he's intellectually disabled. The state of Texas...now agrees that he meets the criteria. It is disappointing that the courts have yet to allow us...to present what we believe to be overwhelming evidence. "

— Ben Wolff, Director of the Texas Office of Capital Forensic Writs

Saldaño's lawyers stated they will continue efforts to prevent his execution.