No. 25-5710
Philip Alejandro Powers, III v. United States
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: affirmative-defense criminal-act criminal-law greater-evil justification-doctrine necessity-defense
Latest Conference:
2025-10-17
Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether a person compelled to commit a criminal act to avert a greater evil can be denied the necessity defense if an alternative 'safer' method existed
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
Should a person who is compelled to commit a criminal act in order to avert a greater evil be denied the protection of the necessity defense if he could have committed the criminal act in a “safer” manner?
Docket Entries
2025-10-20
Petition DENIED.
2025-10-02
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/17/2025.
2025-09-30
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-09-18
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due October 23, 2025)
Attorneys
Philip Powers, III
Daniel Lee Kaplan — Office of the Federal Public Defender, Petitioner
United States
D. John Sauer — Solicitor General, Respondent