No. 25-5211

Kareem Muhammad v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-07-28
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: court-of-appeals defendant-expectations four-corners judicial-review plea-agreement plea-bargaining
Key Terms:
DueProcess CriminalProcedure JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-09-29
Related Cases: 25-5154 (Vide)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether construction of a plea agreement's terms is limited to review of the agreement's language and cannot take into consideration circumstances outside the agreement's terms?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

The overwhelming majority of criminal cases are resolved by plea bargaining. However, how these agreements are interpreted lacks uniformity in the court of appeals. In this case concerning a breach of a plea agreement, the court of appeals strictly limited its review to the “four corners” of the agreement. This approach departs from those of other courts of appeals who do not so limit their review of the plea agreement and instead consider the parties’ conduct and expectations. The questions presented are: 1. Whether construction of a plea agreement’s terms is limited to review of the agreement’s language and cannot take into consideration circumstances, such as the parties’ conduct and expectations, outside the agreement’s terms? 2. Whether the examination of circumstances outside the “four corners” of the plea agreement should be conducted to establish what a defendants’ reasonable expectation of the scope of the plea agreement’s terms?

Docket Entries

2025-10-06
Petition DENIED.
2025-08-07
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-08-04
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-08-04
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-07-18
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 27, 2025)

Attorneys

Kareem Muhammad
Sean Dewayne ColstonColston Law PLLC, Petitioner
Sean Dewayne ColstonColston Law PLLC, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent