Criminal,
Constitutional Law
Sep. 15, 2025
The impact and limits of McCoy v. Louisiana, 7 years on
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's opinion in McCoy v. Louisiana reshaped the limits of attorney autonomy -- but seven years later, the decision's reach remains contested and its consequences still unfolding.
In 2018, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked, "What was your most difficult decision?" She declined to name a specific case, but she did say that death penalty cases were the most difficult. She added that "if I were Queen, there would be no death penalty." Three months later, while not yet a Queen, Ginsburg overturned a death penalty conviction in McCoy v. Louisiana (2018) 138 S. Ct. 1500, 1505.
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