Williams v. Pennsylvania

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
15-5040	Pa.	Feb 29, 2016 Tr.Aud.	Jun 9, 2016	5-3	Kennedy	OT 2015

Holding: Under the Due Process Clause, there is an impermissible risk of actual bias when a judge earlier had significant, personal involvement as a prosecutor in a critical decision regarding the defendant’s case.

Judgment: Vacated and remanded, 5-3, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy on June 9, 2016. Chief Justice Roberts filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Alito joined. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Opinion analysis: Another step toward constitutionalizing recusal obligations (Richard M. Re)
Argument analysis: Seeking a recusal rule that the Justices can live with (Richard M. Re)
Argument preview: When must a prosecutor-turned-judge recuse from a capital case? (Richard M. Re)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
May 7 2015	Application (14A1161) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from May 19, 2015 to July 18, 2015, submitted to Justice Alito.
May 12 2015	Application (14A1161) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until June 18, 2015.
Jun 12 2015	Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due July 31, 2015)
Jul 24 2015	Brief of respondent Pennsylvania in opposition filed.
Aug 7 2015	Reply of petitioner Terrance Williams filed.
Aug 13 2015	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 28, 2015.
Oct 1 2015	Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED.
Nov 6 2015	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including November 30, 2015.
Nov 6 2015	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 13, 2016.
Nov 10 2015	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party received from counsel for the petitioner.
Nov 13 2015	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party received from counsel for the respondent.
Nov 30 2015	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed.)
Nov 30 2015	Brief of petitioner Terrance Williams filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amici curiae of Former Judges with Prosecutorial Experience filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amici curiae of The Ethics Bureau at Yale, et al. filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amicus curiae of The American Bar Association filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amici curiae of Former Appellate Court Jurists filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amici curiae of Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Justice at Stake filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amici curiae of The American Civil Liberties Union, and The ACLU of Pennsylvania filed.
Dec 7 2015	Brief amicus curiae of The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers filed.
Dec 23 2015	SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Monday, February 29, 2016
Jan 8 2016	Record received from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Eastern District. (2 Boxes)
Jan 13 2016	Brief of respondent Pennsylvania filed. (Distributed)
Jan 15 2016	CIRCULATED.
Feb 11 2016	Record received from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. (2 Boxes)
Feb 12 2016	Reply of petitioner Terrance Williams filed. (Distributed)
Feb 29 2016	Argued. For petitioner: Stuart B. Lev, Assistant Federal Defender, Philadelphia, Pa. For respondent: Ronald Eisenberg, Deputy District Attorney, Philadelphia, Pa.
Jun 9 2016	Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Kennedy, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, JJ., joined. Roberts, C. J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Alito, J., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion.
Jun 9 2016	MANDATE ISSUED.
Jul 12 2016	JUDGMENT ISSUED
Jul 12 2016	MANDATE ISSUED
Aug 16 2016	Records from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has been returned. (4 Boxes)

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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.
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On Tuesday, the justices heard oral argument in Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. v. Jackson and Azar v. Allina Health Services.
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Cases argued	41
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Williams v. Pennsylvania

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Featured Posts

Opinion analysis: Justices uphold arbitration exemption for transportation workers in rare victory for arbitration opponents – Ronald Mann

Argument analysis: When is the government not really the government for immunity from tort liability? – Gregory Sisk

Argument analysis: Quiescent bench dubious about broad fee awards in copyright cases – Ronald Mann

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