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Justin Michael Wolfe v. Virginia

Paid petition · Supreme Court of Virginia, No. 170780 · judgment February 5, 2018


GVR'd · January 7, 2019
Pre-decision estimate: 0% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

The States are divided on whether a guilty plea waives a defendant’s right to challenge, post-plea, the constitutional authority of the State to prosecute. In this case, in conflict with this Court’s recent decision in Class v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 798 (2018), the Virginia courts held that petitioner could not raise on appeal his claim of vindictive prosecution because he pled guilty without obtaining consent from both the trial court and prosecutor to make his plea conditional. The question presented is: Whether, in light of Class, a guilty plea in state court waives the right to raise on appeal the constitutional authority of the State to prosecute based on a claim of vindictive prosecution.

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Marvin David Miller
The Law Offices of Marvin D. Miller

For respondent
Toby Jay Heytens
Office of the Attorney General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 2 conferences

Linked docket
17A1349

Proceedings

  1. Feb 08 2019
    MANDATE ISSUED.
  2. Feb 08 2019
    JUDGMENT ISSUED.
  3. Jan 07 2019
    Petition GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of Class v. United States, 583 U. S. ___ (2018).
  4. Nov 28 2018
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/4/2019.
  5. Nov 27 2018
    Reply of petitioner Justin Michael Wolfe filed.
  6. Nov 13 2018
    Brief of respondent Commonwealth of Virginia in opposition filed.
  7. Sep 14 2018
    Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 13, 2018.
  8. Sep 13 2018
    Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 12, 2018 to November 12, 2018, submitted to The Clerk.
  9. Sep 12 2018
    Response Requested. (Due October 12, 2018)
  10. Sep 05 2018
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/24/2018.
  11. Sep 04 2018
    Waiver of right of respondent Commonwealth of Virginia to respond filed.
  12. Aug 20 2018
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 21, 2018)
  13. Jun 08 2018
    Application (17A1349) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until August 20, 2018.
  14. Jun 04 2018
    Application (17A1349) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from June 21, 2018 to August 20, 2018, submitted to The Chief Justice.