Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Zackary Ellis Sanders v. United States
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 22-4242 · judgment July 9, 2024
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Questions presented
18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) provides that “Any person who employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in . . . any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct . . . shall be punished as provided under [this section].” The questions presented are:
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In accordance with the method of statutory interpretation set forth in Dubin v. United States, 599 U.S. 110 (2023), should the term “uses” be interpreted in the context of the statute and the other actus reus verbs listed in it.
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Whether “for the purpose of” should be interpretated in accordance with the plain language of the statute to mean the purpose, rather than merely “a” purpose even if not the primary purpose.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Barry J. Pollack
Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP
For respondent
Sarah M. Harris
Acting Solicitor General
Proceedings
- Mar 24 2025Petition DENIED.
- Feb 26 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/21/2025.
- Feb 18 2025Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Jan 15 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 10, 2025)
- Dec 05 2024Application (24A550) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until January 15, 2025.
- Dec 03 2024Application (24A550) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 16, 2024 to January 15, 2025, submitted to The Chief Justice.