WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed closely divided Monday about whether an Alabama death row inmate should get a new sentencing hearing because he did not have a mental health expert on his side when he was tried and sentenced to death more than 30 years ago.

The court has ruled previously that poor defendants whose mental health might be a factor in the criminal charges they are facing have a right to an expert's evaluation. The justices are deciding whether the expert must be independent of the prosecution.

The outcome also could affect two Arkansas inmates who were spared execution...