Supreme Court Report

Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →

Jeffrey Clyde Pitts v. Mississippi

Paid petition · Supreme Court of Mississippi, No. 2021-CT-00740-SCT · judgment March 20, 2025


GVR'd · November 24, 2025
Pre-decision estimate: 5% cert probability (95% interval 3%–8%)

Before the decision, modestly above the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before and a petition filed soon after the judgment below, and down for a state or local-government respondent.

Question presented

Whether the Confrontation Clause permits the use of a screen at trial that blocks a child witness’s view of the defendant, without any individualized finding by the trial court that the screen is necessary to prevent trauma to the child.

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Stuart Banner
UCLA School of Law Supreme Court Clinic

For respondent
Ashley Lauren Sulser
Office of the Mississippi Attorney General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 8 conferences

Proceedings

  1. Dec 29 2025
    Judgment and Mandate Issued.
  2. Nov 24 2025
    Petition GRANTED. Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED for further proceedings not inconsistent with the opinion of the Court. Opinion per curiam. (Detached Opinion)
  3. Nov 17 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/21/2025.
  4. Nov 10 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/14/2025.
  5. Nov 03 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/7/2025.
  6. Oct 14 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/17/2025.
  7. Oct 06 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/10/2025.
  8. Aug 27 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
  9. Aug 20 2025
    Electronic record received from the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
  10. Aug 18 2025
    Record Requested.
  11. Aug 13 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
  12. Aug 08 2025
    Reply of petitioner Jeffrey Clyde Pitts filed.
  13. Jul 28 2025
    Brief of respondent Mississippi in opposition filed.
  14. Jun 02 2025
    Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 28, 2025.
  15. May 30 2025
    Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 27, 2025 to July 28, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
  16. May 28 2025
    Response Requested. (Due June 27, 2025)
  17. May 20 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/5/2025.
  18. May 15 2025
    Waiver of right of respondent Mississippi to respond filed.
  19. May 09 2025
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 12, 2025)