Williams v. Pennsylvania

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
15-5040	Pa.	Feb 29, 2016	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, June 9, 2016)
Argument analysis: Seeking a recusal rule that the Justices can live with (Richard M. Re, February 29, 2016)
Argument preview: When must a prosecutor-turned-judge recuse from a capital case? (Richard M. Re, February 23, 2016)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
05/07/2015	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.
05/12/2015	Application (14A1161) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until June 18, 2015.
06/12/2015	Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due July 31, 2015)
07/24/2015	Brief of respondent Pennsylvania in opposition filed.
08/07/2015	Reply of petitioner Terrance Williams filed.
08/13/2015	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 28, 2015.
10/01/2015	Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED.
11/06/2015	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including November 30, 2015.
11/06/2015	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 13, 2016.
11/10/2015	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party received from counsel for the petitioner.
11/13/2015	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs in support of either party or of neither party received from counsel for the respondent.
11/30/2015	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed.)
11/30/2015	Brief of petitioner Terrance Williams filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amici curiae of Former Judges with Prosecutorial Experience filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amici curiae of The Ethics Bureau at Yale, et al. filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amicus curiae of The American Bar Association filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amici curiae of Former Appellate Court Jurists filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amici curiae of Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Justice at Stake filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amici curiae of The American Civil Liberties Union, and The ACLU of Pennsylvania filed.
12/07/2015	Brief amicus curiae of The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers filed.
12/23/2015	SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Monday, February 29, 2016
01/08/2016	Record received from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Eastern District. (2 Boxes)
01/13/2016	Brief of respondent Pennsylvania filed. (Distributed)
01/15/2016	CIRCULATED.
02/11/2016	Record received from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. (2 Boxes)
02/12/2016	Reply of petitioner Terrance Williams filed. (Distributed)
02/29/2016	Argued. For petitioner: Stuart B. Lev, Assistant Federal Defender, Philadelphia, Pa. For respondent: Ronald Eisenberg, Deputy District Attorney, Philadelphia, Pa.
06/09/2016	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.
06/09/2016	MANDATE ISSUED.
07/12/2016	JUDGMENT ISSUED
07/12/2016	MANDATE ISSUED
08/16/2016	Records from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has been returned. (4 Boxes)