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William Alan Pesnell, et al. v. Jill Sessions, et al.

Paid petition · Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit, No. 52,646-CA · judgment May 22, 2019

Certiorari denied · June 29, 2020

Pre-decision estimate: 1% cert probability

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

Questions presented

The Applicants put forth the following Questions Presented for this Court’s review, to wit:

Whether La. R.S. 44:4(47) and the local rule of the 26th Judicial District Court in and for Bossier Parish can bar public access to the digital recording of a public murder trial consistent with the First, Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
Whether La. R.S. 44:4(47) and the local rule of the 26th Judicial District Court in and for Bossier Parish can bar access to the digital recording of a public murder trial to the convicted defendant consistent with the Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, where the convicted defendant acts to obtain evidence in his case for purposes of appeal and/or post-conviction relief.
Whether a state can alter the burdens of the parties for determinations of the validity of statutes impairing fundamental rights, and whether the State of Louisiana applied the proper burden in the case at bar.

For petitioner
Billy R Pesnell
The Pesnell Law Firm, A P.L.C.

For respondent
J. Schuyler Marvin
Bossier-Webster Dis. Atty Off

Conference history
Distributed for 2 conferences

Jun 29 2020
Petition DENIED.
Jun 09 2020
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/25/2020.
Jun 08 2020
Reply of petitioners William Alan Pesnell, et al. filed. (Distributed)
May 20 2020
Brief of respondents Jill Sessions, et al. in opposition filed.
Apr 14 2020
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including May 20, 2020.
Apr 13 2020
Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 20, 2020 to May 20, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
Mar 19 2020
Reply of petitioners William Alan Pesnell, et al. filed.
Mar 16 2020
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including April 20, 2020. See Rule 30.1.
Mar 12 2020
Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 19, 2020 to April 18, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
Feb 18 2020
Response Requested. (Due March 19, 2020)
Feb 13 2020
Brief of respondent Jennifer Bolden in opposition filed. (Distributed)
Feb 05 2020
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/21/2020.
Jan 31 2020
Waiver of right of respondents Jill Sessions, et al. to respond filed.
Jan 13 2020
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 14, 2020)