Gregory Michael Hawes v. Seth Norris, Warden

Whether this Court should resolve a 9'8 split amongst State Courts of Last Resort, when rulings, influenced by this Courts decisions, unconstitutionally provides for mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment, by reallocating the burden of proof, requiring defendants to disprove aggravating factors by a preponderance-of-theevidence, rather than the governments traditional mandate of proof beyond-areasonable-doubt, denying defendant's rights to trial by jury and due process. Whether Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-201 is unconstitutional on due process grounds—as applied—because the inconsistent statutory interpretations and contradictory applications are so standardless that fails to provide uniform standards to govern prosecutors, juries, and judges. Whether this Court's decision in Patterson v. New York, 432 U.S. 197 (1977), should be clarified, limited or overruled.