No. 18-7989

Manuel Guerrero v. N. C. English, Warden

Lower Court: Tenth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-02-15
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: 28-usc-2241 28-usc-2255 circuit-precedent circuit-split erroneous-precedent federal-criminal-defendants federal-prisoner habeas-corpus post-conviction-relief section-2255 statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
HabeasCorpus JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2019-03-22
Question Presented (AI Summary)

May a federal prisoner file a petition for habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 to raise arguments foreclosed by erroneous circuit precedent

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED Federal criminal defendants are entitled to challenge the validity of their conviction and sentence by means of a direct appeal and a motion for post~conviction relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Those efforts sometimes fail because erroneous circuit precedent interpreting a federal statute forecloses the defendant's legitimate claim for relief. This gives rise to an obvious injustice when a later decision by this Court or the circuit overturns the erroneous precedent. In those circumstances, the prisoner cannot again seek relief under Section 2255, which generally bars second or successive applications. As the government has recognized, a deep circuit split has arisen over whether such a prisoner may file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Nine courts of appeals hold that such petitions are authorized by Section 2255(e), which allows a prisoner to pursue such habeas relief if the remedy provided by Section 2255 is “inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention." Two other courts of appeals, including the Tenth Circuit below, hold that the prisoner may NOT use Section 2241, and thus that he has no way to challenge his unlawful detention. THE QUESTION PRESENTED HERE IS: May a federal prisoner file a petition for habeas corpus under. 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in order to raise arguments that were foreclosed by binding (but erroneous) circuit precedent at the time of his : direct appeal and original application for postconviction relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, but which are meritorious in light of a subsequent decision overturning that erroneous precedent? (i) . : a , ;

Docket Entries

2019-03-25
Petition DENIED.
2019-03-07
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/22/2019.
2019-02-27
Waiver of right of respondent N. C. English, Warden to respond filed.
2018-11-08
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due March 18, 2019)

Attorneys

Manuel Guerrero
Manuel Guerrero — Petitioner
N. C. English, Warden
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent