The People of the State of New York v. Joseph Davis, Appellant the People of the State of New York v. Joseph James

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals held that Joseph Davis was not proven guilty of first‑degree murder and vacated his death sentence, remanding for resentencing on the lesser charge of second‑degree murder; it also held that New York’s mandatory death‑penalty statute is unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution because it fails to permit consideration of individualized mitigating factors, vacating Joseph James’s death sentence and remanding for resentencing while affirming his conviction.