Todd Stephens v. United States
DueProcess HabeasCorpus
Does imposing a restitution order of $130,220,803.65 derived from speculative calculations and disproportionately exceeding the petitioner's limited nine-month role in the offense violate the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment and the procedural guarantees of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause?
I. Does imposing a restitution order of $130,220,803.65 — 1. derived from speculative calculations and disproportionately exceeding the petitioner ’s limited nine-month role in the offense violate the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment and the procedural guarantees of the Fifth Amendment ’s Due Process Clause? Does initiating foreclosure proceedings on the petitioner ’s 2. primary residence —while the validity of an excessive and speculative restitution order remains unresolved —violate due process protections, particularly where procedural barriers, including incarceration, pandemic-related restrictions, and limited legal resources, prevented the petitioner from fully litigating his defenses? Should courts adopt enhanced procedural safeguards to 3. ensure fairness for pro se litigants in cases involving extraordinary procedural barriers, disproportionate restitution orders, and significant financial hardship? 2