habeas-relief

33 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-5528 Arthur L. Vitasek v. Ryan Thornell, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, et al. Ninth Circuit 2025-09-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP arguable-claims criminal-defendant habeas-relief judicial-jurisdiction magistrate-determination ninth-circuit-procedure Under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75 (1988), whether the Magistrate, the District Court Judge, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lost jurisdiction t…
24-6513 Tavon Johnathon Magee v. Michigan Michigan 2025-02-10 Denied IFP actual-innocence constitutional-claims effective-assistance-of-counsel federal-standard habeas-relief sixth-amendment Has Petitioner Magee made a proper showing of actual innocence to have his constitutional claims addressed on the merits, and should the Supreme Court…
24-6328 Donald East v. Marty Jackley, Attorney General of South Dakota, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-01-16 Denied IFP actual-innocence criminal-conviction exculpatory-evidence guilty-plea habeas-relief ineffective-assistance Whether a factual basis supporting a criminal conviction can be verifiably false and still result in a valid conviction; whether an attorney accepting…
24-5271 Claude P. Lacombe v. Brian Emig, Warden, et al. Third Circuit 2024-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP guilty-plea habeas-relief ineffective-assistance plea-bargaining sentencing strickland-prejudice Whether a petitioner seeking habeas relief from a sentence imposed by a guilty plea can establish Strickland prejudice by showing that but for counsel…
24-5216 Ricky Mendoza v. William Sullivan, Warden Ninth Circuit 2024-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause criminal-procedure cross-examination due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief harmless-error sixth-amendment witness-testimony Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in denying habeas relief on petitioner's claim that the state trial court deprived him of his Sixth Amendment right to…
23-6848 Stewart Smith v. Laurel Harry, Superintendent, State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, et al. Third Circuit 2024-02-28 Denied Relisted (2)IFP bias certificate-of-appealability constitutional-rights due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance-of-counsel partial-pcra-jurist pro-se procedural-default prosecutorial-misconduct Was petitioner's guilty verdict obtained and sustained in violation of due process, prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, bias,…
23A672 Samuel Fields v. Scott Jordan, Warden Sixth Circuit 2024-01-22 Presumed Complete confrontation-clause constitutional-violation extrinsic-evidence habeas-relief jury-deliberation sixth-amendment Whether the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause prohibits a jury from considering extrinsic evidence against a criminal defendant without providing…
23-6230 Danille Morris v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-12-12 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP attorney-client-confidentiality attorney-client-privilege guilty-plea habeas-corpus habeas-relief plea-bargaining prosecutorial-misconduct sixth-amendment tollett-interpretation tollett-v-henderson Does Tollett v. Henderson preclude collateral attack on a sentence due to pre-plea prosecutorial misconduct involving confidential attorney-client com…
23-312 Lee E. Stephens, Jr. v. Carolyn J. Scruggs, Secretary, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, et al. Fourth Circuit 2023-09-26 Denied Response Waived constitutional-challenge due-process habeas-relief impeachment ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-counsel prior-convictions resentencing right-to-testify sentencing unconstitutional-convictions Whether reasonable jurists could debate whether habeas relief and resentencing is required when a defendant's sentence was premised on prior convictio…
23-5009 Joseph Ray Jordan v. United States Second Circuit 2023-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals certificate-of-appealability claims-adjudication collins-v-miller habeas-corpus habeas-relief judicial-review jurisdictional-defect procedural-dismissal rule-60b section-2255 Is a judgment denying habeas (or Section 2255) relief final and complete
21-1587 Tim Shoop, Warden v. Jeronique D. Cunningham Sixth Circuit 2022-06-23 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (6) aedpa circuit-precedent evidentiary-hearing federal-evidence-rule federal-law habeas-relief sixth-circuit state-court-ruling Whether the Sixth Circuit erred in granting habeas relief based on an alleged misapplication of its own circuit precedent
21-1268 Joe Clarence Smith, Jr. v. David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, et al. Ninth Circuit 2022-03-18 Denied 14th-amendment 42-usc-1983 8th-amendment civil-rights cruel-and-unusual-punishment death-penalty death-row eighth-amendment habeas-relief method-of-execution section-1983 Whether Mr. Smith's method-of-execution challenge is cognizable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983
21-6720 Ali Al-Maqablh v. Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky Sixth Circuit 2021-12-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP aedpa appellate-jurisdiction due-process federal-review habeas-corpus habeas-relief jackson-standard jackson-v-virginia mixed-question state-law When does AEDPA grant habeas petitioners complete relief or just review?
21-6664 Robert Breest v. John M. Formella, Attorney General of New Hampshire First Circuit 2021-12-17 Dismissed Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review constitutional-error due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-instruction jury-instructions reasonable-doubt sullivan-v-louisiana Did the First Circuit err in denying Robert Breest relief from judgment pertaining to the First Circuit's 1981 holding in Breest v. Perrin, 655 F.2d 1…
21-6192 Benjamin Joseph Langford v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process habeas-relief iowa-robbery-statute johnson-ruling predicate-conviction residual-clause sentencing serious-violent-felony statutory-interpretation three-strikes united-states-v-johnson Whether Mr. Langford was improperly denied 28 U.S.C. § 2255 relief from his mandatory life sentence
21-475 Deanna Brookhart, Warden v. Kenneth Smith Seventh Circuit 2021-09-28 Denied Response RequestedRelisted (2) 28-usc-2254 appellate-review evidence-sufficiency evidence-weighing federal-habeas habeas-corpus habeas-relief jackson-v-virginia reasonable-doubt standard-of-review state-court-deference Whether the Seventh Circuit violated 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)'s strictures in awarding habeas relief to respondent based on its own reweighing of the evide…
20-7759 Roderick Williams v. Dexter Payne, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction Eighth Circuit 2021-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP brady-violation civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process exculpatory-evidence habeas-relief Whether the failure to disclose exculpatory evidence results in a Brady violation warranting the grant of habeas relief?
20-5448 Antonio Williams v. William J. Pollard, Warden Seventh Circuit 2020-08-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP aedpa-standards antiterrorism-and-effective-death-penalty-act appellate-counsel certificate-of-appealability constitutional-rights effective-assistance-of-counsel habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance interest-of-justice newly-discovered-evidence Whether federal courts should or must consider the restrictive standards for granting habeas relief under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalt…
19-1302 David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections v. George Russell Kayer Ninth Circuit 2020-05-20 GVR Amici (1)Relisted (9) aedpa aedpa-standard comity de-novo-review federalism habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ninth-circuit rule-of-law sixth-amendment standard-of-review Did the Ninth Circuit violate 28 U.S.C. § 2254's deferential standard, and employ a flawed methodology this Court has repeatedly condemned, when it gr…
19-8046 Michael Anthony Cervantes v. W. L. Montgomery, Warden Ninth Circuit 2020-03-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2254 constitutional-rights due-process evidentiary-hearing habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prosecutorial-misconduct standing statutory-interpretation witness-testimony Whether the district court erred in denying petitioner's habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2) where the district court failed to adequa…
19-1023 Donnie Morgan, Warden v. Vincent D. White, Jr. Sixth Circuit 2020-02-18 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedRelisted (2) actual-prejudice cause-and-prejudice circuit-split federal-court-review habeas habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel martinez-v-ryan procedural-default state-postconviction-counsel Whether a federal court may excuse a procedural default of an ineffective-assistance-of-trial-counsel claim with 'some merit' under Martinez v. Ryan w…
19-6934 Dexter Johnson v. Lorie Davis, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division Fifth Circuit 2019-12-13 Denied IFP buck-doctrine buck-v-davis certificate-of-appealability fifth-circuit gonzalez-precedent habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance-of-counsel right-to-counsel rule-60(b)(6) successive-petition successive-petitions Whether the Fifth Circuit has misinterpreted Buck by requiring Mr. Johnson to plead a meritorious claim for habeas relief in his Rule 60(b)(6) motion?
19-6357 James Alton Turner, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 acca-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process,criminal-procedure,sentencing,acca,joh elements-clause habeas-relief johnson-retroactivity johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing-court sentencing-guidelines violent-felonies Whether a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner must affirmatively prove the sentencing court relied on the residual clause
19-5824 William Alan Kennedy v. Lorie Davis, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division Fifth Circuit 2019-09-04 Denied IFP 5th-circuit appellate-review certificate-of-appealability deadly-weapon due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief habeas-relief-review ineffective-assistance-of-counsel procedural-default Did the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit err in its denial of a certificate of appealability to review the U.S. District Court's denial of …
19-5658 Eric C. Burgie v. Arkansas Arkansas 2019-08-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights collateral-review constitutional-claim due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel right-to-counsel standing state-collateral-review state-post-conviction-proceedings state-proceeding Whether the due process clause requires appointment of counsel for indigent prisoners where state collateral review is the first opportunity a prisone…
19-91 Michele Buckner, Warden v. Robert W. Allen Missouri 2019-07-18 Denied consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment habeas-corpus habeas-relief juvenile-offender juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole parole-eligibility Whether a State may sentence a juvenile offender convicted of multiple crimes to multiple consecutive terms of years in prison under which the offende…
18-9511 Christopher Stepp v. Mark S. Inch, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-04 Denied IFP constitutional-claims federal-habeas habeas-corpus habeas-relief ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel lafler-v-cooper missouri-v-frye wilson-v-sellers Whether a federal habeas petitioner is entitled to § 2254 habeas relief
18-9450 Angela Pizzarelli v. Gurbir Grewal, Attorney General of New Jersey, et al. Third Circuit 2019-05-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process equitable-tolling habeas-corpus habeas-relief jurisdiction notice notice-requirement procedural-default standing state-court time-limitation Does the failure of the state court clerk's office to notify petitioner of the court's decision on appeal constitute grounds for equitable tolling of …
18-8942 Jeffrey Akard v. Robert E. Carter Jr., Commissioner, Indiana Department of Correction Seventh Circuit 2019-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 412-Rape-Shield-law-conflict Brady-materials brady-violation due-process evidence-suppression evidentiary-hearing exculpatory-evidence Fifth-Amendment-Due-Process habeas-corpus habeas-relief impeaching-evidence ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel rape-shield-law sentencing-claims strickland-standards Was Petitioner's 94 year sentence for rape related charges based only on accuser's testimony, in violation of Fifth-Amendment-Due-Process, warrant hab…
18-8832 Annamalai Annamalai v. Darrin Harmon, Warden Eleventh Circuit 2019-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights custody district-court due-process habeas-corpus habeas-relief illegal-custody jurisdiction legal-procedure standing warden-authority Whether the district court illegally suspended Habeas Relief(s) for Annamalai Annamalai
18-287 Ron Neal, Superintendent, Indiana State Prison v. Frederick Michael Baer Seventh Circuit 2018-09-05 Denied Relisted (3) antiterrorism-act antiterrorism-and-effective-death-penalty-act deferential-review habeas-corpus habeas-relief indiana-supreme-court ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-instructions prosecutorial-misconduct strickland-standard strickland-v-washington Did the Seventh Circuit violate the deferential review requirements of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act by disregarding the reasoned …
18-261 Jose Guadalupe Cebreros v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-08-29 Denied 21-usc-841-b-1-a 21-usc-841(b)(1)(a) california california-proposition-47 drug-offense-enhancement federal-recidivist-sentence-enhancement federal-sentencing habeas-relief prior-state-felony-drug-offense recidivist-sentencing retroactive-drug-sentencing-reforms state-law-interpretation Is a federal recidivist sentence enhancement based on a prior state 'felony drug offense' under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A) invalidated when the underlyi…
18-5475 Johnaton Sampson George v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-08-07 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act habeas-corpus habeas-relief habeas-relief-eligibility johnson-v-united-states procedural-eligibility procedural-requirements residual-clause substantive-eligibility substantive-requirements Whether courts should look to the factual record, the law at the time of sentencing, the law as it currently stands, or a combination of these factors…