No. 25-214

Kenneth Fitch, et al. v. Maryland, et al.

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-08-21
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: constitutional-discrimination healthcare-benefits medicare-part-d statutory-employment unilateral-contract unmistakability-doctrine
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity ERISA DueProcess
Latest Conference: 2025-09-29
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the unmistakability doctrine renders a statutory unilateral employment contract illusory and whether Maryland's discriminatory healthcare provisions for illegal aliens violate constitutional protections

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Petitioners, retired state employees, filed a complaint alleging that their employer, the State of Maryland, breached a statutory unilateral contract to provide state subsidized prescription drug benefits in retirement. The District Court found a contract existed for certain State retirees. The Fourth Circuit reversed that decision, ruling that a contract was not created based on the unmistakability doctrine. Six months after Petitioners appealed, Maryland established the Qualified Resident Program that will provide access to and subsidize state and federal healthcare programs for illegal aliens. T HE QUESTIONS PRESENTED ARE: 1. Whether the use of the unmistakability doctrine renders a fulfilled statutory unilateral employment contract illusory. 2. Whether Maryland may discriminate in favor of illegal aliens and against State retirees by providing subsidies for prescription drug benefits through Medicare Part D ; and if so, whether the specific discrim inatory provisions of the Qualified Residence Program in Maryland’s Access to Ca re Act are unconstitutional.

Docket Entries

2025-10-06
Petition DENIED.
2025-08-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-08-21
Waiver of Maryland, et al. of right to respond submitted.
2025-08-21
Waiver of right of respondent Maryland, et al. to respond filed.
2025-08-18
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 22, 2025)

Attorneys

Kenneth Fitch, et al.
Deborah Ann Holloway HillLaw Office of Deborah Hill, LLC, Petitioner
Maryland, et al.
Ryan Robert DietrichOffice of the Attorney General of Maryland, Respondent