No. 24-1220

Mark Joseph Uhlenbrock v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-05-30
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: cyberstalking emotional-distress federal-prosecution first-amendment mens-rea statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
FirstAmendment DueProcess Privacy
Latest Conference: 2025-06-26
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Can a Federal Cyberstalking prosecution pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2261A be used to target repeated communications on the sole basis that they would be 'reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress' in accordance with the First Amendment?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

1. Can a Federal Cyberstalking prosecution pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2261A be used to target repeated communications on the sole basis that they would be “reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress” in accordance with the First Amendment? 2. Whether a defendant’s conviction under § 2261A may be affirmed by an appellate court based on a defamation theory not charged in the indictment or submitted to the jury. 3. Whether the Fifth Circuit’s defamation finding in Uhlenbrock conflicts with the mens rea standards articulated in Counterman v. Colorado and Garrison v. Louisiana.

Docket Entries

2025-06-30
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/26/2025.
2025-06-05
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-06-05
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-05-28
2025-04-22
Application (24A1017) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until May 28, 2025.
2025-04-17
Application (24A1017) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from April 28, 2025 to June 27, 2025, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

Mark Joseph Uhlenbrock
Shannon Willis LockeThe Locke Law Group, Petitioner
Shannon Willis LockeThe Locke Law Group, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent