Carter v. United States
Consolidated with:
Issue: Whether the U.S. Sentencing Commission acted within its expressly delegated authority by permitting district courts to consider, in narrowly cabined circumstances, a nonretroactive change in law in determining whether “extraordinary and compelling reasons” warrant a sentence reduction.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Justices evaluate limits of the compassionate-release statute (Richard Cooke, November 14, 2025)
- Criminal case arguments in the November sitting (Rory Little, October 29, 2025)
- Mission Creep Watch: A non-relisted case the Supreme Court might grant (John Elwood, June 10, 2025)
- Supreme Court adds four new cases to 2025-26 docket (Amy Howe, June 6, 2025)
- Compassionate release, election rules, and procedural puzzles (John Elwood, June 4, 2025)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| 02/11/2025 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 13, 2025) |
| 02/28/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) filed. |
| 03/04/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Clinical Law Professors filed. |
| 03/05/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 13, 2025 to April 14, 2025, submitted to The Clerk. |
| 03/06/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including April 14, 2025. |
| 03/13/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Former Bureau of Prisons Officials filed. |
| 04/10/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 14, 2025 to May 5, 2025, submitted to The Clerk. |
| 04/11/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including May 5, 2025. |
| 05/05/2025 | Brief of respondent United States in support filed. |
| 05/12/2025 | Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioner. |
| 05/13/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/29/2025. |
| 05/14/2025 | Reply of petitioner Johnnie Markel Carter filed. Distributed |
| 05/28/2025 | Supplemental brief of petitioner Johnnie Markel Carter filed. |
| 06/02/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/5/2025. |
| 06/06/2025 | Petition GRANTED. The petition for a writ of certiorari in No. 24-820 is granted. The cases are consolidated, and a total of one hour is allotted for oral argument. VIDED. |
| 08/12/2025 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. VIDED. |
| 08/15/2025 | Amicus brief of Former Commissioners of the United States Sentencing Commission submitted. |
| 08/21/2025 | Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. |
| 09/02/2025 | Record received electronically from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and available with the Clerk. |
| 09/30/2025 | CIRCULATED |
| 11/12/2025 | Argued. For petitioner in 24-820: David C. Frederick, Washington, D. C. For petitioner in 24-860: David A. O'Neil, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Eric J. Feigin, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. VIDED. |