In the case of Sullivan v. Wainwright, 1983, the United States Supreme Court reviewed a decision by Florida's highest court that denied Sullivan's habeas corpus petition. The petitioner, Sullivan was convicted for first-degree murder and sentenced to death in Florida state court. He claimed his constitutional rights were violated because he wasn't allowed to present evidence regarding his mental health during sentencing proceedings - information which could have potentially mitigated his sentence from death penalty to life imprisonment or less severe punishment. However, both the federal district court and the Eleventh Circuit rejected this claim on procedural grounds without addressing its merits. The U.S Supreme Court granted certiorari but ultimately affirmed lower courts' decisions based on procedural default doctrine – a legal principle that bars federal courts from hearing claims defaulted in state courts due to non-compliance with state procedural rules unless cause and prejudice are shown.

In the dissenting opinion for Sullivan v. Wainwright, Justice Stevens argued that the majority's decision to deny habeas corpus relief was based on an incorrect interpretation of Stone v. Powell (1976). He contended that this case did not establish a blanket rule barring federal courts from reviewing Fourth Amendment claims in habeas proceedings but rather limited such review when state courts had provided a full and fair opportunity to litigate these issues. In Sullivan's case, he believed there were serious doubts about whether Florida’s procedures met this standard because they required defendants to raise all possible objections at trial or risk forfeiting them forever - something which could be particularly problematic for indigent defendants without legal representation who might not know all potential defenses available under law. Furthermore, Justice Stevens expressed concern over how denying federal review would affect public confidence in justice system as it may lead people to believe their constitutional rights are being ignored by both state and federal courts.