No. 24-7077

Todd Stephens v. United States

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-04-25
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: due-process eighth-amendment excessive-fines fifth-amendment pro-se-litigant restitution
Key Terms:
DueProcess HabeasCorpus
Latest Conference: 2025-06-18
Question Presented (AI Summary)

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?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

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

Docket Entries

2025-06-23
Petition DENIED. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
2025-06-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2025.
2025-05-27
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-05-27
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-04-30
Supplemental brief of petitioner Todd Stephens filed.
2025-02-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due May 27, 2025)

Attorneys

Todd Stephens
Todd Stephens — Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent