ury ▁service . ▁The ▁trial ▁court ▁judge ▁allowed ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁per empt ory ▁challeng es ▁outside ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Ay ala ' s ▁coun sel , ▁" so ▁as ▁not ▁to ▁disc lose ▁trial ▁strategy ". ▁Ay ala ▁was ▁ultimately ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death , ▁but ▁he ▁file d ▁several ▁appe als ▁challeng ing ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁the ▁trial ▁court ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁exclude ▁his ▁coun sel ▁from ▁the ▁hear ings . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 5 – 4 ▁opinion ▁written ▁by ▁Justice ▁Samuel ▁Al ito , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁even ▁if ▁the ▁trial ▁court ▁committed ▁error , ▁the ▁error ▁was ▁har ml ess ▁and ▁that ▁Ay ala ▁did ▁not ▁suffer ▁any ▁actual ▁pre jud ice . ▁Justice ▁Son ia ▁S ot om ay or ▁wrote ▁a ▁diss ent ing ▁opinion ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁argued ▁that ▁Ay ala ' s ▁sentence ▁should ▁be ▁revers ed ▁because ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁Ay ala ' s ▁coun sel ▁from ▁the ▁hear ings ▁" subst ant ial ly ▁influenced ▁the ▁outcome " ▁of ▁the ▁case . ▁Additionally , ▁Justice ▁Anthony ▁Kennedy ▁wrote ▁a ▁separate ▁conc urr ing ▁opinion ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁question ed ▁the ▁propri ety ▁of ▁Ay ala ' s ▁pla cement ▁in ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement . ▁In ▁response , ▁Justice ▁Clar ence ▁Thomas ▁wrote ▁a ▁one - paragraph ▁conc urr ing ▁opinion ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁Ay ala ' s ▁accommod ations ▁were ▁" far ▁sight ▁more ▁sp a