[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday summarily reversed a federal appeals court decision that erased the conviction and death sentence of a dual US and British citizen for setting a fire in Ohio that killed a toddler almost 20 years ago. In its per curiam decision [PDF text], the Court ruled in Bradshaw v. Richey that the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [official website] was wrong in finding that Kenneth Richey received incompetent legal assistance and that there was no proof of intent to kill the 2-year old child. Prominent figures, including Pope John Paul II [official profile] and 150 members of the British Parliament [official website], had campaigned for Richey's release after a documentary showed potential inconsistencies in the case against him. AP has more.

Also Monday, the Court granted certiorari Monday in three cases, including one where the Court will hear a patent dispute [AP report] between eBay [corporate website] and a small Virginia business. In eBay v. MercExchange, the Court will determine when a federal court should issue an injunction after finding that a patent has been infringed. The Court will also consider [SCOTUSblog report] whether managers of employee benefit plans can sue to recover benefits that plan participant received from another source and whether a company seeking civil damages for mail or wire fraud under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act [text] must prove that it relied on the fraud and was injured as a result of the reliance. Read the Court's full Order List [PDF text].