Cruz v. Arizona

PRELIMINARY PRINT
Volume 598 U. S. Part 1
Pages 17–38
OFFICIAL REPORTS
OF
THE SUPREME COURT
February 22, 2023
Page Proof Pending Publication
REBECCA A. WOMELDORF
reporter of decisions
NOTICE: This preliminary print is subject to formal revision before
the bound volume is published. Users are requested to notify the Reporter
of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C. 20543,
pio@supremecourt.gov, of any typographical or other formal errors.
OCTOBER TERM, 2022 17
Syllabus
CRUZ v. ARIZONA
certiorari to the supreme court of arizona
No. 21–846. Argued November 1, 2022—Decided February 22, 2023
Petitioner John Montenegro Cruz was found guilty of capital murder by
an Arizona jury and sentenced to death. Both at trial and on direct
appeal, Cruz argued that under Simmons v. South Carolina, 512 U. S.
154, he should have been allowed to inform the jury that a life sentence
in Arizona would be without parole. The trial court and Arizona Su-
preme Court held that Arizona's capital sentencing scheme did not trig-
ger application of Simmons. After Cruz's conviction became fnal, this
Court held in Lynch v. Arizona, 578 U. S. 613 (per curiam), that it was
fundamental error to conclude that Simmons “did not apply” in Arizona.
578 U. S., at 615. Cruz then sought to raise the Simmons issue again
in a state postconviction petition under Arizona Rule of Criminal Proce-
dure 32.1(g), which permits a defendant to bring a successive petition if
“there has been a signifcant change in the law that, if applicable to the
defendant's case, would probably overturn the defendant's judgment or
Page Proof Pending Publication
sentence.” The Arizona Supreme Court denied relief after concluding
that Lynch was not “a signifcant change in the law.”
Held: The Arizona Supreme Court's holding that Lynch was not a signif-
cant change in the law is an exceptional case where a state-court judg-
ment rests on such a novel and unforeseeable interpretation of a state-
court procedural rule that the decision is not adequate to foreclose
review of the federal claim. Pp. 25–32.
(a) This Court does not decide a question of federal law in a case if the
state-court judgment “rests on a state law ground that is independent
of the federal question and adequate to support the judgment.” Cole-
man v. Thompson, 501 U. S. 722, 729. In this case the Court focuses
on the requirement of adequacy; whether Arizona's “state procedural
ruling is adequate is itself a question of federal law,” Beard v. Kindler,
558 U. S. 53, 60. A state procedural ruling that is “ ``frmly established
and regularly followed' ” will ordinarily “be adequate to foreclose review
of a federal claim.” Lee v. Kemna, 534 U. S. 362, 376. This case is an
exception, however, implicating this Court's rule that “an unforeseeable
and unsupported state-court decision on a question of state procedure
does not constitute an adequate ground to preclude this Court's review
of a federal question.” Bouie v. City of Columbia, 378 U. S. 347, 354.
At issue here is the Arizona Supreme Court's decision that Cruz's
motion for postconviction relief failed to satisfy Arizona Rule of Crimi-
18 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Syllabus
nal Procedure 32.1(g) because Lynch did not result in “a signifcant
change in the law.” That court reasoned that Lynch was not a signif-
cant change in the law because it relied on Simmons, which was clearly
established law at the time of Cruz's trial. It so held even though
Lynch overruled binding Arizona precedent foreclosing Simmons relief
for Arizona capital defendants, and even though the Arizona Supreme
Court had previously explained that the “archetype” of a “signifcant
change in the law” is the overruling of “previously binding case law.”
State v. Shrum, 220 Ariz. 115, 118, 203 P. 3d 1175, 1178. While the
court reasoned that a signifcant change in the application of a law is
not the same as a signifcant change in the law itself, Arizona can point
to no other Rule 32.1(g) decision supporting that distinction. This in-
terpretation of Rule 32.1(g) is entirely new and conficts with prior Ari-
zona case law. The novelty arises from the way in which the Arizona
Supreme Court disregarded the effect of Lynch on Arizona law. Ordi-
narily, Arizona courts applying Rule 32.1(g) focus on how a decision
changes the law that is operative in the State. Here, however, the Ari-
zona Supreme Court disregarded the many state precedents overruled
by Lynch, focusing instead on whether Lynch had wrought a signifcant
change in federal law. Because the Arizona Supreme Court's interpre-
tation is so novel and unforeseeable, it cannot constitute an adequate
Page Proof Pending Publication
state procedural ground for the challenged decision.
Arizona's interpretation generates a catch-22 for Cruz and other simi-
larly situated capital defendants that only serves to compound its nov-
elty. To obtain relief under Rule 32.1(g), a defendant must establish
not just a signifcant change in the law but also that the law in question
applies retroactively under Teague v. Lane, 489 U. S. 288. Prior to the
Arizona Supreme Court's decision below, it was possible to show that
Lynch both was a “signifcant change in the law” and satisfed retro-
activity because it merely applied Simmons. On the interpretation
adopted below, however, the argument that Lynch applied “settled” fed-
eral law for retroactivity purposes also implies that Lynch does not
represent a “signifcant change in the law.” Earlier Rule 32.1(g) deci-
sions did not generate this catch-22. Given the Court's conclusion that
the Arizona Supreme Court's application of Rule 32.1(g) to Lynch is so
novel and unfounded that it does not constitute an adequate state proce-
dural ground, it is unnecessary for the Court to determine whether the
decision below is also independent of federal law. Pp. 25–29.
(b) Counterarguments presented in this case offer various reformul-
ations of the argument that Lynch was not a “signifcant change in the
law” for Rule 32.1(g) purposes, but they fail to grapple with the basic
point that Lynch reversed previously binding Arizona Supreme Court
precedent. The fact that Lynch was a summary reversal did not justify
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 19
Syllabus
the Arizona Supreme Court in treating Lynch differently than other
transformative decisions of this Court. Although Lynch did not change
this Court's interpretation of Simmons, it did change the operation of
Simmons by Arizona courts in a way that matters for Rule 32.1(g).
And it makes no difference that Lynch did not alter federal law. The
analytic focus of Arizona courts applying Rule 32.1(g) has always been
on the impact to Arizona law. Nor does this Court's interpretation
forestall Arizona's ability to develop its Rule 32.1(g) jurisprudence in
new contexts. That the Arizona Supreme Court had never before ap-
plied Rule 32.1(g) to a summary reversal did not present a new context
in this case. Finally, no effective parallel can be drawn between Rule
32.1(g) and very different procedural rules governing federal prisoners,
e. g., 28 U. S. C. §§ 2255(f), (h). Pp. 29–32.
251 Ariz. 203, 487 P. 3d 991, vacated and remanded.
Sotomayor, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts,
C. J., and Kagan, Kavanaugh, and Jackson, JJ., joined. Barrett, J.,
fled a dissenting opinion, in which Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch, JJ.,
joined, post, p. 32.
Neal Kumar Katyal argued the cause for petitioner.
Page
With him Proof Pending
on the briefs were KatherinePublication
B. Wellington, Wil-
liam E. Havemann, Jon M. Sands, and Cary Sandman.
Joseph A. Kanefeld argued the cause for respondent.
With him on the briefs were Mark Brnovich, Attorney Gen-
eral of Arizona, Brunn W. Roysden III, Solicitor General,
Jeffrey L. Sparks, Deputy Solicitor General, and Erin Ben-
nett, Laura P. Chiasson, and Ginger Jarvis, Assistant Attor-
neys General.*
*Melanie L. Bostwick, Thomas M. Bondy, and Melanie Hallums fled
a brief for Federal Courts Scholars as amici curiae urging reversal.
Briefs of amici curiae urging vacatur were fled for the Arizona Capital
Representation Project et al. by Elizabeth G. Bentley; for LatinoJustice
PRLDEF et al. by Bruce H. Schneider, Lourdes Rosado, Janai S. Nelson,
and Samuel Spital; and for the Ohio Justice & Policy Center et al. by
Michael E. Bern, Michael L. Zuckerman, and Easha Anand.
Briefs of amici curiae were fled for the National Association of Crimi-
nal Defense Lawyers et al. by Noah A. Levine, Jeffrey L. Fisher, David
D. Cole, and Jared G. Keenan; and for Jonathan F. Mitchell et al. by Adam
K. Mortara and Mr. Mitchell, both pro se.
20 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
Justice Sotomayor delivered the opinion of the Court.
Petitioner John Montenegro Cruz, a defendant sentenced
to death, argued at trial and on direct appeal that his due
process rights had been violated by the trial court's failure
to permit him to inform the jury that a life sentence in Ari-
zona would be without parole. See Simmons v. South Caro-
lina, 512 U. S. 154, 161–162 (1994) (plurality opinion); id., at
178 (O'Connor, J., concurring in judgment). Those courts re-
jected Cruz's Simmons argument, believing, incorrectly, that
Arizona's sentencing and parole scheme did not trigger appli-
cation of Simmons. See State v. Cruz, 218 Ariz. 149, 160,
181 P. 3d 196, 207 (2008).
After the Arizona Supreme Court repeated that mistake
in a series of cases, this Court summarily reversed the Ari-
zona Supreme Court in Lynch v. Arizona, 578 U. S. 613(2016) (per curiam), and held that it was fundamental error
to conclude that Simmons “did not apply” in Arizona. 578
Page Proof Pending Publication
U. S., at 615.
Relying on Lynch, Cruz fled a motion for state postconvic-
tion relief under Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.1(g).
That Rule permits a defendant to bring a successive petition
if “there has been a signifcant change in the law that, if
applicable to the defendant's case, would probably overturn
the defendant's judgment or sentence.” Ariz. Rule Crim.
Proc. 32.1(g) (Cum. Supp. 2022); see also ibid. (Cum. Supp.
2017).
The Arizona Supreme Court denied relief after concluding
that Lynch was not a “signifcant change in the law.” 251
Ariz. 203, 207, 487 P. 3d 991, 995 (2021). The Arizona Su-
preme Court reached this conclusion despite having repeat-
edly held that an overruling of precedent is a signifcant
change in the law. See id., at 206, 487 P. 3d, at 994 (The
“ ``archetype of such a change occurs when an appellate court
overrules previously binding case law' ”).
The Court granted certiorari to address whether the Ari-
zona Supreme Court's holding that Lynch was not a signif-
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 21
Opinion of the Court
cant change in the law for purposes of Rule 32.1(g) is an
adequate and independent state-law ground for the judg-
ment. It is not.
I
A
Cruz argued at trial and on direct appeal that the trial
court violated his due process rights under Simmons by not
allowing him to inform the jury that the only sentencing al-
ternative to death in his case was life without parole.
Prior to Cruz's trial, this Court had repeatedly reaffrmed
Simmons' holding. In case after case, the Court explained
that when “a capital defendant's future dangerousness is at
issue, and the only sentencing alternative to death available
to the jury is life imprisonment without possibility of parole,
due process entitles the defendant ``to inform the jury of [his]
parole ineligibility, either by a jury instruction or in argu-
ments by counsel.' ” Shafer v. South Carolina, 532 U. S. 36,
Page Proof Pending Publication
39 (2001) (quoting Ramdass v. Angelone, 530 U. S. 156, 165
(2000) (plurality opinion)); see also Kelly v. South Carolina,
534 U. S. 246, 248, 251–252 (2002).
The same year this Court decided Simmons, Arizona
amended its parole statute to abolish parole for all felonies
committed after 1993. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 41–1604.09(I)
(1) (1994). Nevertheless, Arizona's capital sentencing stat-
ute continued to list two alternatives to death: (1) “natural
life,” which barred release “on any basis,” and (2) “life” with
the possibility of “release” after at least 25 years. § 13–
751(A). Because of the elimination of parole, however, the
only “release” available to capital defendants convicted after
1993 was, and remains, executive clemency.
Despite the elimination of parole for capital defendants,
the Arizona Supreme Court held, in a series of cases
commencing with Cruz's direct appeal, that Simmons did
not apply in Arizona because the State's sentencing scheme
was suffciently distinct from the one at issue in Sim-
22 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
mons.1 That line of cases culminated in State v. Lynch, 238
Ariz. 84, 357 P. 3d 119 (2015). There, the Arizona Supreme
Court refused to apply Simmons on the ground that Lynch
could have received a life sentence under § 13–751(A) and
thus been eligible for “executive clemency” after 25 years.
238 Ariz., at 103–104, 357 P. 3d, at 138–139.
This Court summarily reversed in Lynch v. Arizona, 578
U. S. 613, holding that Simmons applies with full force in
Arizona. The Court noted that “Simmons expressly re-
jected the argument that the possibility of clemency dimin-
ishes a capital defendant's right to inform a jury of his parole
ineligibility.” 578 U. S., at 615. The Court also observed
that Simmons foreclosed the State's alternative argument
that relied on the potential for future legislative reforms to
Arizona's parole statute. 578 U. S., at 616.
B
Page Proof Pending Publication
In 2005, Cruz was convicted and sentenced to death for
the murder of a Tucson police offcer. Cruz's conviction oc-
curred over a decade after the decision in Simmons, but be-
came fnal before the decision in Lynch.
At trial, Cruz repeatedly sought to inform the jury of his
parole ineligibility. Citing Simmons, Cruz expressed con-
cern that unless he had “the opportunity to present the miti-
gating factor that he will not be released from prison,” jurors
would be left to “speculate” about Arizona's capital sentenc-
ing scheme and whether it allows for parole. App. 28–29.
The trial court “conclude[d] that Simmons is distinguish-
able” and did not act on Cruz's concern. Id., at 41.
Cruz also informed the trial court of his intent to call
as a witness the chairman of the Arizona Board of Execu-
1
See, e. g., State v. Benson, 232 Ariz. 452, 465, 307 P. 3d 19, 32 (2013);
State v. Hardy, 230 Ariz. 281, 293, 283 P. 3d 12, 24 (2012); State v. Chappell,
225 Ariz. 229, 240, 236 P. 3d 1176, 1187 (2010); State v. Hargrave, 225 Ariz.
1, 14–15, 234 P. 3d 569, 582–583 (2010); State v. Garcia, 224 Ariz. 1, 18, 226
P. 3d 370, 387 (2010).
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 23
Opinion of the Court
tive Clemency to testify that the board no longer had au-
thority to parole any capital defendants. In response, the
State sought to prevent Cruz from offering evidence as to
“the prospects of parole for an inmate sentenced to life im-
prisonment.” Id., at 45. The trial court precluded the
testimony.
During the aggravation/mitigation phase of an Arizona
capital trial, the jury must frst determine whether an aggra-
vating circumstance exists. The jury here found a single
aggravating factor that Cruz knowingly killed a police off-
cer. See Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13–703(F)(10) (2003) (re-
numbered as § 13–751(F)(8)). The jury then heard from 16
defense witnesses who testifed to Cruz's good behavior in
prison, his abuse and neglect as a child, his posttraumatic
stress disorder, and his history of drug use, including around
the time of the offense.
After counsel made closing arguments, the judge in-
Page Proof Pending Publication
structed the jury that Cruz was eligible for three penalties:
(1) “Death by lethal injection”; (2) “Life imprisonment with
no possibility of parole or release from imprisonment on any
basis”; and (3) “Life imprisonment with a possibility of parole
or release from imprisonment” after 25 years. App. 94.
The reference to parole was plainly wrong. See Lynch, 578
U. S., at 615 (the only “release” available under Arizona law
is executive clemency, not parole). The judge further in-
structed the jury that its only choice was whether or not to
sentence Cruz to death; if the jury did not vote for death, the
judge would then choose between the two remaining possible
sentences. The jury sentenced Cruz to death.
Three jurors, unprompted by Cruz, issued a press release
the next day. The jurors explained that this had been a
“gut-wrenching decision” and that “[t]here was not one per-
son on the jury who did not cry.” App. 144. They reported
that they would rather have voted for life without the possi-
bility of parole, but that they were not given that option. A
fourth juror later stated in a declaration: “If I could have
24 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
voted for a life sentence without parole, I would have voted
for that option.” Id., at 269.
Cruz thereafter moved for a new trial, arguing that the
instructions did not give the jury “an accurate and complete
understanding of the consequences of a non-death verdict.”
Id., at 137. The trial judge denied the motion. He con-
cluded, erroneously, that the jury had been “correctly in-
structed on the law,” and found it “entirely speculative”
whether Cruz would be considered for parole after 25 years.
Id., at 169–170.
On direct appeal, Cruz again pressed his Simmons claim.
The Arizona Supreme Court rejected it. Repeating the
same legal error made by the trial court, the court reasoned
that Simmons was distinguishable because “[n]o state law
would have prohibited Cruz's release on parole after serving
twenty-fve years.” Cruz, 218 Ariz., at 160, 181 P. 3d, at 207.
Having raised his Simmons claim on direct review, Cruz
was precluded from raising it again in his initial state post-
Page Proof Pending Publication
conviction petition. See Ariz. Rule Crim. Proc. 32.2(a)(2).
C
After Cruz's conviction became fnal, this Court decided
Lynch, thereby reaffrming that Simmons applies in Ari-
zona. Cruz then fled a successive motion for state postcon-
viction relief pursuant to Arizona Rule of Criminal Proce-
dure 32.1(g). That Rule permits a successive petition for
postconviction relief if “there has been a signifcant change
in the law that, if applicable to the defendant's case, would
probably overturn the defendant's judgment or sentence.”
Cruz argued that Lynch was a signifcant change in the law
because it “had transformative effects on previously binding
Arizona law.” App. 387.
The Arizona Supreme Court denied relief after holding
that Lynch was “not a signifcant change in the law.” 251
Ariz., at 207, 487 P. 3d, at 995. As the Arizona Supreme
Court itself noted, it had interpreted Rule 32.1(g) to require
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 25
Opinion of the Court
“ ``some transformative event, a clear break from the past.' ”
Id., at 206, 487 P. 3d, at 994 (quoting State v. Shrum, 220
Ariz. 115, 118, 203 P. 3d 1175, 1178 (2009)). “ ``The archetype
of such a change occurs when an appellate court overrules
previously binding case law.' ” Ibid. Nevertheless, the Ar-
izona Supreme Court held that Lynch was not a signifcant
change in the law because “the law relied upon by the Su-
preme Court in [Lynch]—Simmons—was clearly established
at the time of Cruz's trial . . . despite the misapplication of
that law by the Arizona courts.” 251 Ariz., at 206, 203 P. 3d,
at 994.
In so holding, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected Cruz's
argument that Lynch should qualify as a signifcant change
in the law under Rule 32.1(g) “because it signifcantly
changed how Arizona applied federal law.” 251 Ariz., at
207, 487 P. 3d, at 995. The Arizona Supreme Court re-
sponded, without citation to any of its prior cases, that Rule
32.1(g) requires “a signifcant change in the law, whether
Page Proof Pending Publication
state or federal—not a signifcant change in the application
of the law.” Ibid. (emphasis in original).
This Court granted Cruz's petition for certiorari, 596
U. S. ––– (2022), limited to the question whether the Arizona
Supreme Court's holding that Rule 32.1(g) precluded post-
conviction relief is an adequate and independent state-law
ground for the judgment.
II
“This Court will not take up a question of federal law in a
case ``if the decision of [the state] court rests on a state law
ground that is independent of the federal question and ade-
quate to support the judgment.' ” Lee v. Kemna, 534 U. S.
362, 375 (2002) (quoting Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U. S. 722,
729 (1991) (emphasis added in Kemna)). Here the Court fo-
cuses on the second of these requirements: adequacy.
“The question whether a state procedural ruling is ade-
quate is itself a question of federal law.” Beard v. Kindler,
558 U. S. 53, 60 (2009). Ordinarily, a violation of a state pro-
26 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
cedural rule that is “ ``frmly established and regularly fol-
lowed' . . . will be adequate to foreclose review of a federal
claim.” Lee, 534 U. S., at 376. Nevertheless, in “excep-
tional cases,” a “generally sound rule” may be applied in a
way that “renders the state ground inadequate to stop con-
sideration of a federal question.” Ibid. This is one of those
exceptional cases.
In particular, this case implicates this Court's rule, re-
served for the rarest of situations, that “an unforeseeable
and unsupported state-court decision on a question of state
procedure does not constitute an adequate ground to pre-
clude this Court's review of a federal question.” Bouie v.
City of Columbia, 378 U. S. 347, 354 (1964). “Novelty in
procedural requirements cannot be permitted to thwart re-
view in this Court applied for by those who, in justifed reli-
ance upon prior decisions, seek vindication in state courts of
their federal constitutional rights.” NAACP v. Alabama ex
Page Proof Pending Publication
rel. Patterson, 357 U. S. 449, 457–458 (1958). This Court has
applied this principle for over a century. See, e. g., Enter-
prise Irrigation Dist. v. Farmers Mut. Canal Co., 243 U. S.
157, 165 (1917) (holding that a state ground was adequate
where it was not “without fair support or so unfounded as to
be essentially arbitrary or merely a device to prevent a review
of the other [federal] ground of the judgment”). And this
Court has continued to reaffrm this important rule. See
Walker v. Martin, 562 U. S. 307, 320 (2011) (“A state ground,
no doubt, may be found inadequate when ``discretion has been
exercised to impose novel and unforeseeable requirements
without fair or substantial support in prior state law' ” (quot-
ing 16B C. Wright, A. Miller, & E. Cooper, Federal Practice
and Procedure § 4026, p. 386 (2d ed. 1996) (Wright & Miller))).
At issue here is the Arizona Supreme Court's decision
that Cruz's motion for postconviction relief failed to satisfy
Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.1(g). Rule 32.1(g)
allows defendants to fle a successive or untimely postconvic-
tion petition if there has been “a signifcant change in the
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 27
Opinion of the Court
law.” Arizona courts have interpreted that phrase to re-
quire a “transformative event, a ``clear break from the past.' ”
Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 118, 203 P. 3d, at 1178 (quoting State v.
Slemmer, 170 Ariz. 174, 182, 823 P. 2d 41, 49 (1991) (some
internal quotation marks omitted)). “The archetype of such
a change occurs when an appellate court overrules pre-
viously binding case law.” Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 118, 203
P. 3d, at 1178.
Straightforward application of these principles should
have led to the conclusion that Lynch was a “signifcant
change in the law” under Rule 32.1(g). Lynch overruled
binding Arizona precedent. Before Lynch, Arizona courts
held that capital defendants were not entitled to inform the
jury of their parole ineligibility. After Lynch, Arizona
courts recognize that capital defendants have a due process
right to provide the jury with that information when future
dangerousness is at issue. It is hard to imagine a clearer
Page Proof Pending Publication
break from the past.
Instead of reaching that conclusion, however, the Arizona
Supreme Court held that Lynch was not “a signifcant
change in the law.” 251 Ariz., at 207, 487 P. 3d, at 995. It
reasoned that Lynch could not be a signifcant change be-
cause Lynch relied on Simmons, and Simmons “was clearly
established at the time of Cruz's trial . . . despite the misap-
plication of that law by the Arizona courts.” 251 Ariz., at
206, 487 P. 3d, at 994. The court added that it was not
enough that Lynch changed how Arizona courts applied fed-
eral law because “Rule 32.1(g) requires a signifcant change in
the law . . . not a signifcant change in the application of the
law.” 251 Ariz., at 207, 487 P. 3d, at 995 (emphasis in original).
This interpretation of Rule 32.1(g) is entirely new and in
confict with prior Arizona case law. The State points to no
other instance in which the overturning of binding Arizona
precedent failed to satisfy Rule 32.1(g)'s “signifcant change
in the law” requirement. Nor has the State identifed
any other Rule 32.1(g) decision distinguishing between a
28 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
“change in the law” and a “change in the application of
the law.” Ibid. (emphasis in original). The application of
Rule 32.1(g) below is thus the opposite of frmly established
and regularly followed.
What makes the interpretation so novel is the way in
which it disregards the effect of Lynch on the law in Arizona.
Ordinarily, Arizona courts applying Rule 32.1(g) focus on
how a decision changes the law that is operative in Arizona,
regardless of whether the intervening decision is a state or
federal one. See, e. g., Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 119, 203 P. 3d,
at 1179 (holding that a state decision did not satisfy Rule
32.1(g) because it did not “overrule any prior opinion”); State
v. Valencia, 241 Ariz. 206, 208–209, 386 P. 3d 392, 394–395
(2016) (fnding a “signifcant change in the law” where a prec-
edent of this Court changed the law applied in Arizona);
State v. Poblete, 227 Ariz. 537, 540, 260 P. 3d 1102, 1105 (App.
2011) (same); see also State v. Bigger, 251 Ariz. 402, 412, 492
Page Proof Pending Publication
P. 3d 1020, 1030 (2021) (determining that a decision of this
Court was not a “signifcant change in the law” in part be-
cause it did not “effec[t] a change in Arizona law”). Here,
however, the Arizona Supreme Court considered only
whether there had been a signifcant change in federal law,
disregarding the fact that Lynch overruled binding Arizona
Supreme Court precedents, to dramatic effect for capital de-
fendants in Arizona.
The consequences of the interpretation below compound
its novelty. Arizona requires a petitioner seeking Rule
32.1(g) relief to establish not just a “signifcant change in the
law,” but also that the law in question applies retroactively
under this Court's analysis in Teague v. Lane, 489 U. S. 288(1989). See, e. g., State v. Towery, 204 Ariz. 386, 389, 64 P. 3d
828, 831 (2003) (applying Teague). Under Arizona's long-
standing Rule 32.1(g) precedents, it is possible to satisfy both
criteria. See, e. g., Order in State v. Rose, No. CR2007–
149013–002, pp. 19–23 (Super. Ct. Maricopa Cty., Ariz., Aug.
14, 2020) (determining in another case, prior to the decision
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 29
Opinion of the Court
below, that Lynch was both a “signifcant change in the law”
and satisfed retroactivity because it “merely applied the rule
of Simmons”). On the interpretation adopted below, how-
ever, it is impossible for Cruz, and similarly situated capital
defendants, to obtain relief. To show retroactivity, Cruz
argued before the Arizona Supreme Court that Lynch ap-
plied “settled” federal law. Under the decision below, how-
ever, that same argument implies that Lynch was not a
“signifcant change in the law.” The fact that the Arizona
Supreme Court's decision in this case generates this catch-
22, whereas earlier Rule 32.1(g) decisions did not, further
underscores the novelty of the decision and its departure
from pre-existing Arizona Supreme Court law.
Under these unusual circumstances, the Arizona Supreme
Court's application of Rule 32.1(g) to Lynch was so novel
and unfounded that it does not constitute an adequate state
procedural ground. It is therefore not necessary to reach
the further issue whether the decision below is independent
Page Proof Pending Publication
of federal law.2
III
The State and the dissent offer various reformulations of
the argument that Lynch was not a “signifcant change in
the law” for Rule 32.1(g) purposes, but each fails to grapple
with the basic point that Lynch reversed previously binding
Arizona Supreme Court precedent.
Both the State and the dissent argue that the Arizona Su-
preme Court was justifed in treating Lynch differently than
other transformative decisions of this Court, such as Ring v.
Arizona, 536 U. S. 584 (2002), and Padilla v. Kentucky, 559
U. S. 356 (2010), because Lynch was a summary reversal and
so did not “impos[e] a new or changed interpretation of state
2
The Court also does not need to reach Cruz's additional arguments that
the decision below refects an attitude of hostility toward Simmons v.
South Carolina, 512 U. S. 154 (1994) (plurality opinion), and Lynch v. Ari-
zona, 578 U. S. 613 (2016) (per curiam), and impermissibly discriminates
against federal law by nullifying Cruz's rights under Simmons.
30 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Opinion of the Court
or federal law.” Brief for Respondent 12. As the dissent
puts the argument: Lynch “did not change the law in Ari-
zona.” Post, at 37 (opinion of Barrett, J.).
These arguments miss the point. While Lynch did not
change this Court's interpretation of Simmons, it did change
the operative (and mistaken) interpretation of Simmons by
Arizona courts. Lynch thus changed the law in Arizona in
the way that matters for purposes of Rule 32.1(g): It over-
ruled previously binding Arizona Supreme Court precedent
preventing capital defendants from informing the jury of
their parole ineligibility.3
Contrary to the dissent, post, at 34–35, it makes no differ-
ence that Lynch did not alter federal law. While Arizona
Supreme Court decisions applying Rule 32.1(g) to federal de-
cisions such as Ring and Padilla have understandably noted
the effect those decisions had on both federal and state law,
the analytic focus of Arizona courts has always been on the
impact to Arizona law. See supra, at 28; see also Towery,
Page Proof Pending Publication
204 Ariz., at 390, 64 P. 3d, at 832 (Ring “imposes a new bur-
den on the state. Thus we conclude that Ring [satisfes Rule
32.1(g)]”). That focus is unsurprising given that Rule
32.1(g) is a state procedural rule governing the availability
of state postconviction relief in state court.
The State next objects that a decision against it would
forestall Arizona's ability to “fesh out” its Rule 32.1(g) juris-
prudence in new contexts. Tr. of Oral Arg. 40. That is in-
correct. The Arizona Supreme Court is free to extend its
prior Rule 32.1(g) jurisprudence, including by applying the
Rule to new situations as they arise. What the Arizona Su-
preme Court cannot do is foreclose federal review by adopt-
3
At oral argument, the State also argued that Lynch, at the very least,
was not a “signifcant” change in the law. Tr. of Oral Arg. 34–36. By
any measure, though, Lynch was a “transformative event,” State v.
Shrum, 220 Ariz. 115, 118, 203 P. 3d 1175, 1178 (2009), in Arizona. In fact,
the State conceded Lynch was a “clear break” from the past in Arizona
courts. Tr. of Oral Arg. 36.
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 31
Opinion of the Court
ing a “ ``novel and unforeseeable' ” approach to Rule 32.1(g)
that lacks “ ``fair or substantial support in prior state law.' ”
Walker, 562 U. S., at 320 (quoting 16B Wright & Miller
§ 4026, at 386).
The dissent argues that this case did present a new con-
text because the Arizona Supreme Court had never before
applied Rule 32.1(g) to a summary reversal. There was no
reason, however, to treat this case any differently than past
cases. Whereas the Arizona Supreme Court had previously
looked to the effect of an intervening federal or state deci-
sion on Arizona law, supra, at 28, here it focused exclusively
on whether there had been a change in federal law. The
court thus disregarded that Lynch overruled “previously
binding case law” in Arizona, the “archetype” of a signifcant
change in the law. Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 118, 203 P. 3d, at
1178.4
Finally, the dissent attempts to draw a parallel between
Page Proof Pending Publication
Rule 32.1(g) and certain procedural rules governing federal
4
The Arizona Supreme Court claims it was acting consistently with its
Shrum decision in this case. 251 Ariz., at 207, 487 P. 3d, at 995. That
assertion does not stand up under inspection. In Shrum, the Arizona
Supreme Court held that an Arizona decision did not constitute a “signif-
cant change in the law” because it “did not change any interpretation of
Arizona constitutional law . . . and no precedent was overruled, all of which
meant ``the law remained precisely the same.' ” 251 Ariz., at 207, 487
P. 3d, at 995 (quoting Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 119, 203 P. 3d, at 1179). In
this case, the court reasoned it was acting consistently with Shrum be-
cause Lynch “did not change any interpretation of federal constitutional
law . . . and no Supreme Court precedent was overruled or modifed.”
251 Ariz., at 207, 487 P. 3d, at 995. The language used, however, reveals
the inconsistency. While in Shrum the Arizona Supreme Court looked
for a change in Arizona law, including whether any “precedent was over-
ruled,” in this case the court instead asked only whether federal law had
changed or whether federal “Supreme Court precedent was overruled.”
No precedent of the Supreme Court of the United States was overruled,
but precedent of the Arizona Supreme Court certainly was. Under the
Arizona Supreme Court's ordinary approach, then, there was a “signifcant
change in the law.”
32 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Barrett, J., dissenting
prisoners seeking to fle delayed or successive § 2255 mo-
tions. See 28 U. S. C. §§ 2255(f), (h). The parallel breaks
down, however, because the rules are different. Unlike
§ 2255(h)(2), which requires “a new rule of [federal] constitu-
tional law,” and § 2255(f)(3), which requires a right “newly
recognized by the [U. S.] Supreme Court,” the relevant por-
tion of Arizona's Rule 32.1(g) simply requires “a signifcant
change in the law.” As the Arizona Supreme Court has re-
peatedly interpreted that Rule, Lynch should qualify be-
cause it overruled binding Arizona precedent, creating a
clear break from the past in Arizona courts. The Arizona
Supreme Court's contrary decision was unprecedented and
unforeseeable. Only violations of state rules that are
“ ``frmly established and regularly followed' . . . will be ade-
quate to foreclose review of a federal claim.” Lee, 534 U. S.,
at 376. That standard is not met here.
* * *
Page Proof Pending Publication
In exceptional cases where a state-court judgment rests
on a novel and unforeseeable state-court procedural decision
lacking fair or substantial support in prior state law, that
decision is not adequate to preclude review of a federal ques-
tion. The Arizona Supreme Court applied Rule 32.1(g) in a
manner that abruptly departed from and directly conficted
with its prior interpretations of that Rule. Accordingly, the
judgment of the Supreme Court of Arizona is vacated, and
the case is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent
with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
Justice Barrett, with whom Justice Thomas, Justice
Alito, and Justice Gorsuch join, dissenting.
The adequate and independent state grounds doctrine is
the product of two fundamental features of our jurisdiction.
First, this Court is powerless to revise a state court's inter-
pretation of its own law. Murdock v. Memphis, 20 Wall. 590,
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 33
Barrett, J., dissenting
636 (1875). We thus cannot disturb state-court rulings on
state-law questions that are independent of federal law.
Second, Article III empowers federal courts to render judg-
ments, not advisory opinions. Hayburn's Case, 2 Dall. 409(1792). So if an independent state ground of decision is ade-
quate to sustain the judgment, we lack jurisdiction over the
entire dispute. Anything we said about alternative federal
grounds would not affect the ultimate resolution of the case
and would therefore be advisory. Herb v. Pitcairn, 324 U. S.
117, 126 (1945).
The Court holds that the Arizona Supreme Court's appli-
cation of Rule 32.1(g) is inadequate to support the judgment
below. That assertion is jarring, because the bar for fnding
inadequacy is extraordinarily high. When, as here, the ar-
gument is based on the state court's inconsistent or novel
application of its law, the bar is met only by a decision so
blatantly disingenuous that it reveals hostility to federal
Page Proof Pending Publication
rights or those asserting them. See Walker v. Martin, 562
U. S. 307, 321 (2011). Given the respect we owe state courts,
that is not a conclusion we should be quick to draw—and
ordinarily, we are not quick to draw it.
NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson illustrates how un-
principled a state-court decision must be before we treat it
as inadequate. 357 U. S. 449 (1958). There, the NAACP
asked the Alabama Supreme Court to vacate a civil contempt
order as unconstitutional. That court denied review on the
ground that the NAACP had improperly pursued a writ of
certiorari, when it should have sought a writ of mandamus.
Id., at 454–455. We held this procedural ruling inadequate
because it was irreconcilable with the Alabama Supreme
Court's “past unambiguous holdings.” Id., at 456. Though
a multitude of that court's own precedents contradicted its
ruling, one in particular stood out: The court had evaluated
similar constitutional claims brought by a petitioner in ca-
hoots with the Ku Klux Klan, even though he had also pur-
sued a writ of certiorari. Id., at 456–457. The subtext of
34 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Barrett, J., dissenting
the Alabama Supreme Court's decision unmistakably re-
vealed its hostility toward the NAACP's federal rights. See
also Ford v. Georgia, 498 U. S. 411, 425 (1991) (Georgia Su-
preme Court decision was inadequate because it applied
precedent that was inapplicable “by its own terms”); Barr v.
City of Columbia, 378 U. S. 146, 149–150 (1964) (South Caro-
lina Supreme Court ruling was inadequate because that
court had proceeded differently in an “identical” case a few
weeks later).
Today's Court, while admitting that the novelty prong of
inadequacy is “reserved for the rarest of situations,” ante, at
26, concludes that the Arizona Supreme Court's application
of Rule 32.1(g) falls in the same category as Patterson. I
respectfully disagree. Unlike the state courts in cases like
Patterson, the Arizona Supreme Court did not contradict its
own settled law. Instead, it confronted a new question and
gave an answer reasonably consistent with its precedent.
Page Proof Pending Publication
The ordinary rule in Arizona is that criminal defendants
must present any constitutional challenges on direct review
or in a timely postconviction-review petition. Ariz. Rules
Crim. Proc. 32.2(a), 32.4(b)(3)(A) (2020). Rule 32.1(g) allows
a second or delayed bite at the postconviction-relief apple
when “there has been a signifcant change in the law that, if
applicable to the defendant's case, would probably overturn
the defendant's judgment or sentence.”
On several occasions, the Arizona Supreme Court has ad-
dressed whether an intervening judicial decision constitutes
a “signifcant change in the law” for purposes of Rule 32.1(g).
For instance, it has considered whether this Court's decisions
signifcantly changed the content of federal law. E. g., State
v. Bigger, 251 Ariz. 402, 412, 492 P. 3d 1020, 1030 (2021) (a
decision that “affrmed the Supreme Court's jurisprudence”
was not a signifcant change); State v. Valencia, 241 Ariz.
206, 209, 386 P. 3d 392, 395 (2016); see also State v. Poblete,
227 Ariz. 537, 540, 260 P. 3d 1102, 1105 (App. 2011). It has
also analyzed whether intervening state-court decisions sig-
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 35
Barrett, J., dissenting
nifcantly changed Arizona law. E. g., State v. Shrum, 220
Ariz. 115, 119–120, 203 P. 3d 1175, 1179–1180 (2009); State v.
Slemmer, 170 Ariz. 174, 179, 182, 823 P. 2d 41, 46, 49 (1991);
State v. Rendon, 161 Ariz. 102, 104, 776 P. 2d 353, 355 (1989).
Cruz's case, however, raised a question of frst impression:
whether a “signifcant change” occurs when an intervening
decision reaffrms existing law, but rectifes an erroneous ap-
plication of that law. That was the effect of Lynch v. Ari-
zona, 578 U. S. 613 (2016) (per curiam), which corrected the
Arizona Supreme Court's application of Simmons v. South
Carolina, 512 U. S. 154 (1994), and its progeny. An inter-
vening decision like Lynch, which undisputedly did not
change any legal doctrine, has no analog in Arizona's Rule
32.1(g) jurisprudence. See ante, at 24 (Lynch “reaffrm[ed]
that Simmons applies in Arizona” (emphasis added)). So
the Arizona Supreme Court devised a rule: “Rule 32.1(g) re-
quires a signifcant change in the law, whether state or fed-
Page Proof Pending Publication
eral—not a signifcant change in the application of the law.”
251 Ariz. 203, 207, 487 P. 3d 991, 995 (2021). By that stand-
ard, Lynch did not satisfy Rule 32.1(g). 251 Ariz., at 207,
487 P. 3d, at 995.
The Court criticizes the “novelty” of the Arizona Supreme
Court's law versus application-of-law distinction, as it does
not appear in any other Arizona precedent. Ante, at 27–28.
A point that deserves emphasis at the outset: Novelty does
not mean that a rule is inadequate merely because a state
court announced it for the frst time in the decision under
review, and I do not understand the Court to suggest other-
wise. Legal systems based on precedent depend on cases to
present novel fact patterns, which enable courts to articulate
new principles of law or to clarify old ones with greater pre-
cision. Beard v. Kindler, 558 U. S. 53, 65 (2009) (Kennedy,
J., concurring). We do a disservice to that mode of legal
development when we “disregard a state procedural ground
that was not in all respects explicit before the case when it
was frst announced”—unless, of course, the decision demon-
36 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Barrett, J., dissenting
strates “a purpose or pattern to evade constitutional guaran-
tees.” Ibid. That is why we have been careful to explain
that, in the inadequacy context, a decision is “ ``novel' ” only
when it was wholly “ ``unforeseeable' ” and lacked any “ ``fair
or substantial support in prior state law.' ” Walker, 562
U. S., at 320 (quoting 16B C. Wright, A. Miller, & E. Cooper,
Federal Practice and Procedure § 4026, p. 386 (2d ed. 1996)).
The Court's real objection is that it thinks the Arizona
Supreme Court violated its own Rule 32.1(g) precedent by
holding that Lynch is not a signifcant change in law. For
one, the Court says, the Arizona Supreme Court has pre-
viously explained that “ ``[t]he archetype' ” of a signifcant
change occurs “ ``when an appellate court overrules pre-
viously binding case law,' ” and Lynch overruled binding Ari-
zona case law. Ante, at 27 (quoting Shrum, 220 Ariz., at 118,
203 P. 3d, at 1178). In isolation, that language does suggest
that Lynch is a “signifcant change” for purposes of Rule
Page Proof Pending Publication
32.1(g). Context, however, shows there is more to the story:
Shrum illustrated its point with the example of Ring v. Ari-
zona, 536 U. S. 584 (2002), which was a signifcant change
because it overruled our contrary decision in Walton v. Ari-
zona, 497 U. S. 639 (1990). 220 Ariz., at 118–119, 203 P. 3d,
at 1178–1179 (citing State v. Towery, 204 Ariz. 386, 390, 64
P. 3d 828, 832 (2003)). Unlike Lynch, Ring changed the
governing legal doctrine, not a mistaken application of that
doctrine. So Shrum's reasoning is not inconsistent with the
result below.
The Court also asserts that Arizona courts typically ana-
lyze how an intervening decision affects the law in Arizona,
so by that logic, decisions like Lynch that change the law's
on-the-ground application in Arizona constitute grounds for
relief under Rule 32.1(g). Ante, at 28. I do not read the
Arizona Supreme Court's “past unambiguous holdings” to
say as much. Patterson, 357 U. S., at 456. The closest ex-
ample the Court offers is State v. Valencia, 241 Ariz. 206,
386 P. 3d 392 (2016), in which the Arizona Supreme Court
Cite as: 598 U. S. 17 (2023) 37
Barrett, J., dissenting
considered whether Miller v. Alabama, 567 U. S. 460 (2012),
constituted a signifcant change in law. 241 Ariz., at 208,
386 P. 3d, at 394. The court observed that pre-Miller, “Ari-
zona law” allowed trial courts to impose life sentences on
juveniles “without distinguishing crimes that refected ``ir-
reparable corruption' rather than the ``transient immaturity
of youth.' ” Valencia, 241 Ariz., at 209, 386 P. 3d, at 395.
Miller, in holding that trial courts must weigh such consider-
ations before imposing a life sentence on juveniles, changed
Eighth Amendment doctrine and therefore changed the law
in Arizona. 241 Ariz., at 209, 386 P. 3d, at 395; see also
Montgomery v. Louisiana, 577 U. S. 190, 208, 212 (2016).
Lynch, by contrast, did not change the content of federal law
and therefore did not change the law in Arizona.
If the Arizona Supreme Court's distinction between a
change in law and a change in the application of law seems
familiar, it should—federal habeas law draws the same line.
Take everything about this case and transplant it to federal
Page Proof Pending Publication
court: A federal defendant is wrongfully denied a Simmons
instruction, the Court of Appeals's understanding of Sim-
mons is later summarily reversed in Lynch, and the defend-
ant (now a prisoner) then tries to obtain the beneft of Lynch
through a successive or delayed motion for postconviction
relief.* In this scenario, the federal prisoner faces the same
dilemma that Cruz faces in Arizona. Pre-Lynch, the Court
of Appeals was unreceptive to the Simmons claim. Post-
Lynch, the prisoner's claim is procedurally barred: Lynch is
not “a new rule of constitutional law” or a “newly recog-
nized” right because it merely applies an old rule, Simmons.
28 U. S. C. §§ 2255(f)(3), (h)(2). If federal law limits a prison-
er's Simmons claim to an initial, timely motion, we should
not be surprised that Arizona has made a similar choice.
*This hypothetical is inapposite to Cruz's pending federal habeas action,
which appears to be a timely, initial federal fling. See Cruz v. Ryan, 2018
WL 1524026, *3 (D Ariz., Mar. 28, 2018), appeal docketed sub nom. Cruz
v. Credio, No. 21–99005 (CA9, Apr. 22, 2021).
38 CRUZ v. ARIZONA
Barrett, J., dissenting
And we have cautioned before that “[f]ederal habeas courts
must not lightly ``disregard state procedural rules that are
substantially similar to those to which we give full force in
our own courts.' ” Johnson v. Lee, 578 U. S. 605, 609 (2016)
(per curiam) (quoting Kindler, 558 U. S., at 62).
The Court makes a case for why the Arizona Supreme
Court's interpretation of its own precedent is wrong. If I
were on the Arizona Supreme Court, I might agree. But
that call is not within our bailiwick. Our job is to determine
whether the Arizona Supreme Court's decision is defensible,
and we owe the utmost deference to the state court in mak-
ing that judgment. Cases of inadequacy are extremely rare,
and this is not one. I respectfully dissent.
Page Proof Pending Publication
Reporter’s Note
The attached opinion has been revised to refect the usual publication
and citation style of the United States Reports. The revised pagination
makes available the offcial United States Reports citation in advance of
publication. The syllabus has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions
Page Proof Pending Publication
for the convenience of the reader and constitutes no part of the opinion of
the Court. A list of counsel who argued or fled briefs in this case, and
who were members of the bar of this Court at the time this case was
argued, has been inserted following the syllabus. Other revisions may
include adjustments to formatting, captions, citation form, and any errant
punctuation. The following additional edits were made:
None