critical-stage

43 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-5621 Ja'Kroi Allen Banks v. Texas Texas 2025-09-12 Denied IFP critical-stage due-process ineffective-assistance plea-withdrawal pro-se-defendant sixth-amendment Ja'Krai Banks filed an 11.07 on August 23, 2019. Banks received an affidavit from Private Investigator James McKay in March of 2020. Banks used McKay'…
24-6774 Alberto Rivera v. Tim Thomas, Warden Seventh Circuit 2025-03-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP counsel-of-choice critical-stage law-enforcement right-to-counsel sixth-amendment substitute-counsel Can law enforcement officials refuse to honor a defendant's request for the presence of their retained counsel at a "critical stage" without a counter…
24-6617 Cedric Dwayne Poore v. Oklahoma Oklahoma 2025-02-21 Denied IFP constitutional-right counsel-appointment critical-stage dna-act hearsay-exception post-conviction-procedure 1. Whether the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruling that an omitted claim implicating an excited utterance, an exception to the hearsay rule, is…
24A545 Bartholomew Granger v. Bobby Lumpkin, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division Fifth Circuit 2024-12-04 Presumed Complete capital-murder constitutional-deficiency critical-stage ineffective-assistance sixth-amendment trial-counsel Question not identified.
24-5487 Michael Ravy v. Louisiana Louisiana 2024-09-09 Denied IFP collateral-attack constitutional-right criminal-proceeding critical-stage due-process sixth-amendment This Honorable Court is being asked to determine whether an evidentiary hearing, following a collateral attack on a conviction, constitutes a critical…
24-5485 Onofre Serrano v. California California 2024-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP critical-stage due-process harmless-error ineffective-assistance right-to-counsel waiver-of-counsel 1. Whether reasonable jurist could debate the state court of appeals conclusion that Petitioner's waiver of the right to counsel was voluntary, knowin…
23-7661 Muhammad E. Milhouse v. New York City Department of Homeless Services, et al. Second Circuit 2024-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP attorney-representation civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process representation right-to-counsel sixth-amendment standing victim-rights Question not identified.
23-6551 Steven McGauley v. Illinois Illinois 2024-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-proceedings critical-stage due-process effective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-bias right-to-counsel sixth-amendment standing Whether the trial court erred where the trial court denied McGauley's defense motion without weighing the potential for prejudice by other testimony o…
23-6365 Rodney Adam Hurdsman v. Bobby Lumpkin, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division Fifth Circuit 2023-12-27 Denied IFP critical-stage incarceration plea-bargain presumption-of-prejudice pretrial-period right-to-counsel sixth-amendment speedy-trial I. Whether the pretrial period between the time the Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches to the start of trial is a critical stage of the proceed…
23-5973 Richard C. Duerson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-08 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-error constitutional-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage cronic-standard due-process due-process-rights ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prejudice strickland-test strickland-v-washington united-states-v-cronic 1.) Has the Supreme Court overruled United States v. Cronic, eliminating the presumption that an accused has suffered Constitutional error without the…
22-7706 Johnny Taylor v. Jeff Tanner, Acting Warden Sixth Circuit 2023-06-05 Dismissed Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP complete-denial-of-counsel critical-stage evidentiary-hearing habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prejudice presumption-of-prejudice sixth-amendment sixth-circuit 1. If an attorney's deficiency is grave enough, criminal defendants do not need to demonstrate prejudice to prove ineffective assistance of counsel. I…
22-7125 Charles M. Torrence v. Hazel Peterson, Warden Tenth Circuit 2023-03-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights critical-stage federal-law pro-se right-to-counsel sixth-amendment standby-counsel waiver-of-counsel The Constitution requires that "any waiver of the right to counsel be knowing, voluntary, and intelligent." The question here is whether the Tenth Ci…
22-5814 Christopher Allan Allred v. Washington Washington 2022-10-12 Denied Relisted (2)IFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage cruel-and-unusual-punishment death-penalty due-process eighth-amendment execution mental-illness rational-understanding right-to-counsel sixth-amendment Question not identified.
22-5244 Charles M. Torrence v. Hazel Peterson, Warden Tenth Circuit 2022-08-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-right criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process legal-representation mental-competency right-to-counsel sixth-amendment statewide-importance Whether it is of statewide, and even nationwide importance, ONE: for the United States Supreme Court to declare definitively whether a mental compete…
21-6797 In Re Lawrence Earl Wilson 2022-01-10 Dismissed Response WaivedIFP constitutional-deprivation criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process equitable-tolling exceptional-case habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel right-to-counsel 1. WHETHER, A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN DENIED THE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL AT A CRITICAL STAGE OF THE TRIAL PROCEEDINGS AND RECEIVED THE INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANC…
21-6779 Troy Allen Hite v. Michigan Michigan 2022-01-07 Denied IFP 14th-amendment 6th-amendment constitutional-violation criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel michigan-state-courts procedural-default right-to-counsel I. IS CERTIORARI APPROPRIATE WHERE MICHIGAN STATE COURTS REFUSED TO ADDRESS PETITIONER'S DENIAL OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO COUNSEL AT A CRITICAL S…
21-6386 Antjuan Sydnor v. California California 2021-11-23 Denied IFP constitutional-rights counsel-absence criminal-prosecution critical-stage jury-deliberations right-to-counsel sixth-amendment structural-error 1. In a criminal prosecution, if a trial court permits the prosecutor and counsel for a codefendant to present supplemental arguments to the jury duri…
21-5783 Brian D. Smith v. Montana Montana 2021-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process equal-protection ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining plea-withdrawal post-conviction procedural-default right-to-counsel sentencing Is a motion to withdraw guilty plea considered a "critical Stage" requiring the assistance of counsel for a person "too poor" to hire one at the follo…
21-5291 Leonardo Miguel Garcia Morales, aka El Padrino v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-08-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-trial critical-stage defendant-presence district-court-discretion due-process judicial-discretion jury-deliberations right-to-presence testimony-of-accused testimony-rehearing Does the right to presence at critical stages of a criminal trial extend to proceedings before the jury in which the district court discourages the ju…
20-7470 Pablo Ramon Guerrero v. Nevada Nevada 2021-03-16 Denied IFP actual-innocence batson critical-stage cronic due-process fundamental-fairness mccollum presumed-prejudice strickland structural-error trial-procedure 1.) Whether a Brady/Giglio prosecutorial misconduct violation exists as a structural error, and if so, whether petitioner was denied a fundamentally f…
20-7339 Kevin Antonio Watson v. Virginia Virginia 2021-03-05 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-interpretation court-procedure critical-stage due-process federal-law habeas-corpus judicial-interpretation procedural-review right-to-counsel right-to-effective-assistance-of-counsel structural-error 1o Whether Petitioner's trial Counsel sleeping during the Commonwealth's witness directexamination is a critical stase of the triali Whether it consti…
20-1218 Demetrius William Edwards, et al. v. Sherry Burt, Warden, et al. Sixth Circuit 2021-03-03 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) is entitled to habeas relief thereby giving rise to a presumption of prejudice counsel-deprivation criminal-procedure critical-stage habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prejudice-presumption presumption-of-prejudice right-to-counsel sixth-amendment During an overnight recess in Demetrius Edwards's and Bryant Royster's bench trial, the judge made an independent, nighttime visit to the crime scene,…
20-6589 John Xavier Portillo, aka John Portillo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure critical-stage initial-appearance magistrate magistrate-hearing right-to-counsel sixth-amendment Whether the initial appearance before a Magistrate after the right to counsel has attached is a critical stage of the proceeding under the Sixth Amend…
20-6391 Timothy Ronald Hare v. Michigan Michigan 2020-11-20 Denied IFP constitutional-standard critical-stage effective-assistance ineffective-assistance lafler-v-cooper plea-bargaining prejudice prejudice-analysis right-to-counsel sixth-amendment united-states-v-cronic I. Does the requirement to prove prejudice under this Court's previous decision in Latter v Cooper, place a burden on the accused that this Court deem…
20-549 John Farrow, et al. v. Contra Costa County, California Ninth Circuit 2020-10-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) bail circuit-split counsel-appointment criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process equal-protection indigent-defense right-to-counsel sixth-amendment Is a detainee's first appearance in court a "critical stage" of the proceedings, when bail is set and statutory liberty interests are adjudicated, as …
19-8151 Michael John Alcocer Roa v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-04-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights counsel-denial criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process interlocutory-appeal right-to-counsel sixth-amendment united-states-v-cronic Does an interlocutory appeal is a critical stage? If yes, does a denial of counsel during an interlocutory appeal constitutes a violation of Sixth Ame…
19-7723 James William Brammer v. Raymond Madden, Warden Ninth Circuit 2020-02-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP certiorari circuit-split criminal-procedure critical-stage motion-for-new-trial new-trial right-to-counsel sixth-amendment writ-of-certiorari HI. DOES THE SIXTH AMENDMENT'S RIGHT TO COUNSEL, INCLUDE APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL FOR PROSECUTION OF MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL? 112. IS A MOTION FOR A NEW…
19-7350 Billy Battenfield v. Oklahoma Oklahoma 2020-01-21 Denied IFP aedpa appeal-waiver criminal-procedure critical-stage garza-v-idaho ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining post-sentencing retroactivity statute-of-limitations 1. Whether Garza v. Idaho, — U.S. 139 S.Ct. 738, 203 L.Ed.2d 77 (2019) adopts a new watershed rule of procedure that applies retroactively on state co…
19-6953 Donovan G. Davis, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-proceeding critical-stage direct-appeal new-trial new-trial-motion right-to-counsel sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure The Constitution guarantees the assistance and choice of counsel for a critical-stage in a criminal proceeding. Ancient statute guarantees every indiv…
19-6045 Scott H. Summerhays v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-24 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-counsel change-of-plea criminal-procedure critical-stage effective-assistance-of-counsel faretta faretta-waiver ineffective-assistance right-to-counsel sixth-amendment waiver 1. Does a criminal defendant have a right under the Sixth Amendment to reassert his right to counsel at a critical stage (a change of plea hearing) af…
19-5703 Eric Massey v. Darrel Vannoy, Warden Fifth Circuit 2019-08-23 Denied IFP 14th-amendment 6th-amendment constitutional-rights counsel-effectiveness critical-stage effective-assistance-of-counsel habeas-corpus sixth-amendment strickland-standard strickland-v-washington AFTER PETITIONER MADE A SUBSTANTIAL SHOWING OF A DENIAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT; WAS GRANTED BY THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEAL, FIFTH CIRCUIT, A …
19-5446 Michael Thomas Balint v. Kelly Santoro, Warden Ninth Circuit 2019-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process habeas-corpus harmless-error jury-instructions ninth-circuit right-to-be-present right-to-counsel During deliberations, the jury issued a compound question as to the elements of Balint's trial defense, duress, as well as the defense of necessity. T…
18-9715 Johnny Curtis Bedgood v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-18 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure critical-stage evidentiary-hearing fourth-amendment ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining pre-trial-counsel section-2255 sentencing sentencing-enhancements WHETHER THE US DISTRICT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION FOR FAILURE TO CONDUCT [A]N EVIDENTIARY HEARING PURSUANT TO 28 SECTION 2255(b) IN LIGHT OF A FACTU…
18-8929 In Re Lavont Flanders, Jr. 2019-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process habeas-corpus indictment-amendment mailbox-rule postal-service-error pro-se-filing pro-se-prisoner procedural-due-process right-to-counsel sixth-amendment Should the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals have considered Petitioner's timely filed Amended Certificate of Appealability and Motion to Expand the A…
18-8889 Lavont Flanders, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-error counsel-deprivation criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process initial-appearance right-to-counsel sixth-amendment united-states-v-cronic The question of whether an initial appearance can be a critical stage is a case of first impression on this Court. Criminal defendants from every Stat…
18-8482 Lourdes Margarita Garcia v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP brecht-standard constitutional-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage Cronic cronic-rule cronic-standard defense-counsel direct-appeal due-process eleventh-circuit hybrid-error prejudice structural-error trial-procedure The district court ordered the government, at a critical stage of the trial, to present inculpatory and disputed evidence in the absence of the defend…
18-8199 Michael DeVaughn Johnson v. Arizona Arizona 2019-02-28 Denied IFP automatic-reversal constitutional-law constitutional-rights conviction criminal-procedure critical-stage critical-stages due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance right-to-counsel sixth-amendment trial-counsel Was The ARIZONA STATE COURTS ceCISION that the abSeNCe Of the retitioner's trial counsel during two complet critical Stages" of the trial did not requ…
18-7786 Roy Shotwell v. Kevin Genovese, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-02-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment 5th-amendment civil-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage dna-analysis dna-evidence dna-testing due-process effective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel procedural-due-process prosecutorial-misconduct sixth-amendment standing warrantless-seizure Did The lower Courts abuse their discretion in denying Petitioner relief on the grounds that evidence was suppressed from his home and person be frivo…
18-7532 Dale B. Green v. Florida Florida 2019-01-23 Denied IFP civil-rights criminal-procedure critical-stage due-process partial-denial presumption-of-unfair-trial pretrial-proceedings right-to-counsel Question not identified.
18-7208 Nicholas Maslonka v. Noah Nagy, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-01-02 Denied Response RequestedRelisted (2)IFP constructive-denial critical-stage cronic-standard cronic-v-united-states habeas-corpus right-to-counsel sixth-amendment state-action 1. Is there a requirement that state action contribute to counsel's absence from a critical stage of the proceedings in order for there to be a constr…
18-7083 Sylvia Ogbenyeanu Walter-Eze, aka Sylvia O. Okam v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-12-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP conflict-of-interest constitutional-standards constructive-denial-of-counsel counsel-conflict critical-stage fundamental-fairness ninth-circuit presumed-prejudice structural-error waiver Whether, when the Court of Appeals of the Ninth Circuit, found that "both the threat of fees and the threat of potential sanctions created a conflict …
18-6463 Jose Gilberto Portillo v. United States District of Columbia 2018-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP counsel-obligations counsel-obligations-guilty-plea critical-stage due-process guilty-pleas ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel lafler-v-cooper language-barrier missouri-v-frye non-english-speaker plea-bargaining plea-negotiation sixth-amendment young-defendant Whether the DC Court of Appeals' decision directly conflicts with and seriously undermines controlling authority of the Supreme Court on counsel's fun…
18-5697 James R. Reece v. L. Ray Whitley, et al. Sixth Circuit 2018-08-22 Denied IFP criminal-procedure criminal-proceedings critical-stage indigent-prisoner new-trial post-trial pre-appeal right-to-counsel sixth-amendment subject-matter-jurisdiction 1. Whether a post-trial pre-appeal motion for new trial filed by an indigent prisoner is a critical stage of state criminal proceedings protected by r…