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Johnny Ellery Smith v. United States

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 21-35036 · judgment August 4, 2022


Certiorari denied · March 20, 2023
Pre-decision estimate: 9% cert probability (95% interval 6%–13%)

Before the decision, about 2.2× the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before, a Ninth Circuit decision below, and a dissent in the court below (flagged in the petition).

Question presented

Whether the Assimilative Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. §13, applies to Indian country—either on its own or through the General Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. §1152—such that the federal government may prosecute Indians for virtually any state-law offense committed in Indian country, including on lands promised by treaty for the “exclusive use” of Indian tribes. (i)

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Seth P. Waxman
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

For respondent
Elizabeth B. Prelogar
Solicitor General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Amicus briefs
3 cert-stage

Linked docket
22A545

Proceedings

  1. Mar 20 2023
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Mar 17 2023
    Brief amici curiae of Law Professors and Indian Law Experts filed.
  3. Mar 16 2023
    Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed.
  4. Mar 15 2023
    Brief amici curiae of National Indian Gaming Association, et al. filed.
  5. Mar 01 2023
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/17/2023.
  6. Feb 24 2023
    Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
  7. Feb 16 2023
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 24, 2023)
  8. Jan 26 2023
    Application (22A545) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until March 10, 2023.
  9. Jan 24 2023
    Application (22A545) to extend further the time from February 10, 2023 to March 10, 2023, submitted to Justice Kagan.
  10. Dec 19 2022
    Application (22A545) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until February 10, 2023.
  11. Dec 15 2022
    Application (22A545) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from January 11, 2023 to February 10, 2023, submitted to Justice Kagan.