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Jeff Schulz, et al. v. Presbytery of Seattle. et al.

Paid petition · Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1, No. 78399-8-1 · judgment October 7, 2019

Certiorari denied · February 22, 2021
Pre-decision estimate: 5% cert probability

Before the decision, modestly above the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for a circuit split argued in the petition, counsel who has filed here before, and a petition citing one or two dissents.

Question presented

In a dispute between a local congregation and its former denomination over ownership of property to which the local congregation holds legal title, does the First Amendment permit courts to apply a rule of absolute deference to assertions of ownership by the denomination?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Steffen Nathanael Johnson
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For respondent
Robert Bertelson Mitchell Jr.
K&L Gates LLP

Case

Subject area
First Amendment (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)

Conference history
Distributed for 3 conferences

Amicus briefs
3 cert-stage

Order
Order list, February 22, 2021 · Certiorari denied

Proceedings

  1. Feb 22 2021
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Feb 12 2021
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/19/2021.
  3. Jan 06 2021
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/22/2021.
  4. Nov 30 2020
    Rescheduled.
  5. Nov 17 2020
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/4/2020.
  6. Nov 16 2020
    Reply of petitioners Jeff Schulz, et al. filed. (Distributed)
  7. Oct 30 2020
    Brief of respondents The Presbytery of Seattle, et al. in opposition filed.
  8. Oct 02 2020
    Brief amicus curiae of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed.
  9. Oct 02 2020
    Brief amicus curiae of Anglican Church in North America filed.
  10. Oct 02 2020
    Brief amici curiae of Law and Religion and Constitutional Law Professors filed.
  11. Sep 21 2020
    Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 2, 2020.
  12. Sep 21 2020
    Response to motion from petitioners Jeff Schulz, et al. filed.
  13. Sep 18 2020
    Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 2, 2020 to November 2, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
  14. Aug 28 2020
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 2, 2020)