Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Javaar Yavonnie Kalem Watkins v. United States
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, No. 22-2196 · judgment May 9, 2023
Before the decision, roughly the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for a circuit split argued in the petition and an Eighth Circuit decision below.
Question presented
The Constitution requires the Government to persuade a jury “beyond reasonable doubt” in order to sustain a conviction. Over Watkins’ objection, the reasonable doubt instruction charged the jury to subjectively consider “life’s most important decisions” when considering whether reasonable doubt existed. Was the reasonable doubt instruction constitutionally deficient thereby requiring reversal of Watkins’ conviction?
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Paul Henry Myerchin
Bormann, Myerchin, Espeseth and Edison, LLP
For respondent
Elizabeth B. Prelogar
Solicitor General
Case
Subject area
Criminal Procedure (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference
Order
Order list, October 30, 2023 · Certiorari denied
Proceedings
- Oct 30 2023Petition DENIED.
- Oct 04 2023DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/27/2023.
- Sep 27 2023Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Sep 15 2023Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 20, 2023)