Class v. United States

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
16-424	D.C. Cir.	Oct 4, 2017 Tr.Aud.	Feb 21, 2018	6-3	Breyer	OT 2017

Holding: A guilty plea, by itself, does not bar a federal criminal defendant from challenging the constitutionality of the statute of conviction on direct appeal.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 6-3, in an opinion by Justice Breyer on February 21, 2018. Justice Alito filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Kennedy and Thomas joined.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

The Annual: OT2017 in Review (First Mondays)
Opinion analysis: Appellate constitutional attacks on the offense of conviction are not waived absent explicit waiver (Corrected) (Rory Little)
OT2017 #5: “Oglethorpe’s Second Cousin” (First Mondays)
OT2017 #2: "Who is the River Master?" (First Mondays)
Argument analysis: A class on guilty-plea rules (Rory Little)
OT2017 #1: "A Very Nice Office" (First Mondays)
Argument preview: Does a guilty plea waive challenge to the constitutionality of the criminal offense? (Rory Little)
Court releases October calendar (Amy Howe)
One new grant, and a Sotomayor dissent (Amy Howe)
Petition of the day (Kate Howard)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
Sep 30 2016	Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 31, 2016)
Oct 27 2016	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including November 30, 2016.
Nov 16 2016	Order further extending time to file response to petition to and including December 20, 2016.
Dec 20 2016	Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
Jan 03 2017	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 19, 2017.
Jan 03 2017	Reply of petitioner Rodney Class filed. (Distributed)
Feb 06 2017	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 17, 2017.
Feb 21 2017	Petition GRANTED.
Mar 15 2017	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including May 12, 2017.
Mar 15 2017	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including July 17, 2017.
May 12 2017	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs received.)
May 12 2017	Brief of petitioner Rodney Class filed.
May 12 2017	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party from counsel for the petitioner.
May 19 2017	Brief amici curiae of The National Association of Criminal Lawyers, et al. filed.
May 19 2017	Brief amicus curiae of Albert W. Alschuler filed.
May 19 2017	Brief amicus curiae of The Innocence Project filed.
Jul 17 2017	Brief of respondent United States filed.
Jul 19 2017	SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.
Aug 01 2017	Record requested from the U.S.C.A. District of Columbia Circuit.
Aug 09 2017	CIRCULATED
Aug 16 2017	Reply of petitioner Rodney Class filed. (Distributed)
Oct 04 2017	Argued. For petitioner: Jessica R. Amunson, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Eric J. Feigin, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.
Feb 21 2018	Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Breyer, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Gorsuch, JJ., joined. Alito, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Kennedy and Thomas, JJ., joined.
Mar 26 2018	JUDGMENT ISSUED.

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The Supreme Court released additional orders from the January 11 conference on Monday; the justices called for the views of the U.S. solicitor general in CSX Transportation Inc. v. Alabama Department of Revenue, Alabama Department of Revenue v. CSX Transportation Inc. and Toshiba Corp. v. Automotive Industries Pension Trust Fund.
On Tuesday, the justices released their opinions in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira and Stokeling v. United States.
On Monday, the justices heard oral argument in Thacker v. Tennessee Valley Authority and Rimini Street Inc. v. Oracle USA Inc.
On Tuesday, the justices heard oral argument in Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. v. Jackson and Azar v. Allina Health Services.
On Wednesday, the justices heard oral argument in Knick v. Township of Scott and Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Blair.
On Friday, the justices meet for their January 18 conference; John Elwood's Relist Watch compiles the petitions relisted for this conference.
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On November 13, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and Judge Susan Carney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit presided over the final round of the 2018 Ames Moot Court Competition at Harvard Law School.

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Cases argued	43
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Class v. United States

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Featured Posts

Challengers urge justices to dismiss census case after district court ruling – Amy Howe

Reargument analysis: Justices seek a “middle position” in takings litigation case – Miriam Seifter

Argument analysis: Justices have strong views about removal of class actions – Ronald Mann

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