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Villarreal v. Alaniz

Petition for certiorari denied on March 23, 2026. Justice Sotomayor dissented.

Docket No. Op. BelowArgument Opinion Vote Author Term
25-29 5th Cir. N/A N/A N/A N/A OT 2025

Issue: (1) Whether it obviously violates the First Amendment to arrest someone for asking government officials questions and publishing the information they volunteer; and (2) whether qualified immunity is unavailable to public officials who use a state statute in a way that obviously violates the First Amendment, or whether qualified immunity shields those officials.

Times Relisted: 5

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
07/07/2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 8, 2025)
08/04/2025Brief amicus curiae of Muckrock Foundation filed.
08/05/2025Brief amicus curiae of Law Enforcement Action Partnership filed.
08/06/2025Waiver of right of respondents Claudio Trevino, Jr., Juan L. Ruiz, Deyanira Villarreal, and Does 1-2 to respond filed.
08/06/2025Waiver of right of respondents Isidro R. Alaniz, Marisela Jacaman to respond filed.
08/06/2025Waiver of right of respondent Texas to respond filed.
08/06/2025Brief amicus curiae of Institute for Justice filed.
08/06/2025Brief amicus curiae of Americans for Prosperity Foundation filed.
08/06/2025Brief amici curiae of Young America's Foundation, et al. filed.
08/08/2025Brief amicus curiae of First Liberty Institute filed.
08/08/2025Brief amici curiae of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, et al. filed.
08/08/2025Brief amici curiae of Independent Journalists filed.
08/08/2025Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed.
08/08/2025Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
08/08/2025Brief amici curiae of Journalists David Barstow, et al. filed.
08/20/2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
08/25/2025Response Requested. (Due September 24, 2025)
09/05/2025Motion of Claudio Trevino, Jr., et al. to extend the time to file a response from September 24, 2025 to November 7, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
09/08/2025Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 7, 2025, for all respondents.
11/07/2025Brief of respondents Isidro R. Alaniz, et al. in opposition filed.
11/07/2025Brief of respondent Texas in opposition filed.
11/20/2025Reply of petitioner Priscilla Villareal filed.
11/25/2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/12/2025.
01/05/2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
01/12/2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/16/2026.
01/20/2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/23/2026.
02/13/2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
02/18/2026Record Requested.
02/18/2026Electronic record from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is available on PACER.
03/12/2026Electronic record received from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
03/16/2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/20/2026.
03/23/2026Petition DENIED. Justice Sotomayor, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion)