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Esteras v. United States

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
23-7483 6th Cir. Feb 25, 2025 Jun 20, 2025 7-2 Barrett OT 2024

Holding: A district court considering whether to revoke a defendant’s term of supervised release may not consider 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2)(A), which covers retribution vis-à-vis the defendant’s underlying criminal offense.

Judgment: Vacated and remanded, 7-2, in an opinion by Justice Barrett on June 20, 2025. Justice Alito filed a dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Gorsuch. Justice Sotomayor filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, joined by Justice Jackson. Justice Jackson filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
05/15/2024Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 14, 2024)
05/20/2024Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
05/22/2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/6/2024.
05/28/2024Response Requested. (Due June 27, 2024)
06/20/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 27, 2024 to July 29, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
06/21/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 29, 2024.
07/22/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 29, 2024 to August 30, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
07/23/2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including August 30, 2024.
08/30/2024Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
09/06/2024Reply of petitioner Edgardo Esteras filed.
09/12/2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/30/2024.
10/07/2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/11/2024.
10/15/2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/18/2024.
10/21/2024Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED.
11/18/2024Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
11/22/2024SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
12/03/2024Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
12/03/2024Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including December 10, 2024. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 15, 2025.
12/04/2024Record received electronically from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and available with the Clerk.
12/10/2024Brief of petitioner Edgardo Esteras filed.
12/10/2024Joint appendix filed.
12/16/2024Brief amici curiae of Criminal Law Scholars filed.
01/13/2025CIRCULATED
01/15/2025Brief of respondent United States filed. (Distributed)
02/05/2025Reply of petitioner Edgardo Esteras filed. (Distributed)
02/25/2025Argued. For petitioners: Christian J. Grostic, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Cleveland, Ohio. For respondent: Masha G. Hansford, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.
06/20/2025Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Barrett, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Kagan, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined, and in which Sotomayor and Jackson, JJ., joined as to all but Part II-B. Sotomayor, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Jackson, J., joined. Jackson, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. Alito, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Gorsuch, J., joined.