No. 25-7118

Susan Melissa Nickas v. United States

Lower Court: Third Circuit
Docketed: 2026-03-30
Status: Pending
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: appellate-review chain-of-inferences exculpatory-evidence jury-verdict prosecutorial-misconduct sufficiency-of-evidence
Latest Conference: 2026-04-24
Question Presented (from Petition)

When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a federal criminal conviction, must the court consider: Government evidence that exculpates or exonerates the accused, the rationality or reasonableness of the chain-of-inferences required for conviction, or the effect that the prosecutor's misstatements about the law or evidence have on the jury's verdict (which verdict, in turn, receives a high level of deference in sufficiency review)?

If a court does none of those things, then does its sufficiency test amount to no more than the "no evidence" test of Thompson v. Louisville, 362 U.S. 199 (1960), which this Court overruled in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 320 (1979)?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether courts reviewing the sufficiency of evidence in federal criminal convictions must consider exculpatory evidence, the rationality of the chain of inferences required for conviction, and the effect of prosecutorial misstatements on the jury's verdict, or whether the current standard amounts to the 'no evidence' test overruled in Jackson v. Virginia

Docket Entries

2026-04-09
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/24/2026.
2026-04-02
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2026-04-02
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2026-03-26
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 29, 2026)
2026-02-18
Application (25A920) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until March 26, 2026.
2026-02-12
Application (25A920) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from February 24, 2026 to March 26, 2026, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

Susan Nickas
Jason UllmanFederal Public Defender Office, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent