Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
United States v. Kindle Terrell Sam
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, No. 23-60570 · judgment March 10, 2025
Certiorari denied · June 29, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 38% cert probability (95% interval 29%–48%)
Before the decision, about 9.2× the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for a federal-government petitioner, counsel who has won certiorari before, and a Fifth Circuit decision below.
Question presented
Whether 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3), the federal statute that prohibits the possession of firearms by a person who “is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance,” violates the Second Amendment as applied to respondent. (I)
Counsel of record
For petitioner
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
For respondent
Michael Scott
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 4 conferences
Proceedings
- Jun 29 2026Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED.
- Jun 29 2026Petition DENIED.
- Jun 22 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/25/2026.
- Oct 14 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/17/2025.
- Sep 24 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/10/2025.
- Aug 15 2025Rescheduled.
- Aug 06 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
- Aug 05 2025Reply of petitioner United States filed.
- Jul 21 2025Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent Kindle Terrell Sam.
- Jul 21 2025Brief of respondent Kindle Terrell Sam in opposition filed.
- Jun 24 2025Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 21, 2025.
- Jun 23 2025Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 7, 2025 to July 21, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
- Jun 05 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due July 7, 2025)