No. 25-6029

Keith Baldwin, Jr. v. Jamey Fletcher, Captain, Maiden Police Department

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-11-04
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: affirmative-defenses civil-rights constitutional-violations discovery-rights rule-12b6 section-1983
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity CriminalProcedure
Latest Conference: 2025-12-05
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Discovery Rights in § 1983 Cases: Whether federal district courts must allow § 1983 plaintiffs reasonable discovery to develop facts regarding defendants' affirmative defenses before dismissing claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), or whether courts may resolve disputed factual issues regarding constitutional violations including the existence and validity of search warrants based solely on defendants' unverified documentary submissions while simultaneously denying plaintiffs' motions for discovery as "premature."

2. Miranda Custody Standard: Whether the determination of "custody" for Miranda purposes requires a totality-of-circumstances analysis considering the duration of detention, physical threats by officers, restriction of movement, and coercive atmosphere, or whether the absence of formal arrest is dispositive regardless of other objective indicia that a reasonable person would not feel free to leave.

3. Qualified Immunity Standard: Whether the "clearly established law" requirement for overcoming qualified immunity in § 1983 actions requires precedent with nearly identical facts, or whether well-established constitutional principles from this Court's precedents suffice when applied to analogous governmental conduct involving prolonged detention, threats of violence, and warrantless searches.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether federal district courts must allow § 1983 plaintiffs reasonable discovery to develop facts regarding defendants' affirmative defenses before dismissing claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)

Docket Entries

2025-12-08
Petition DENIED.
2025-11-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/5/2025.
2025-11-17
Waiver of Jamey Fletcher of right to respond submitted.
2025-11-17
Waiver of right of respondent Jamey Fletcher to respond filed.
2025-10-31
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 4, 2025)

Attorneys

Jamey Fletcher
Steven Andrew BaderCranfill Sumner LLP, Respondent
Keith Baldwin
Keith Baldwin Jr. — Petitioner