Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Utah v. Morris Thomas Mullins
Paid petition · Supreme Court of Utah, No. 20200149 · judgment November 20, 2025
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
Whether a sentencing court can impose a sentence of life without parole on a juvenile murderer even if the court finds that the juvenile is not permanently incorrigible or at least suggests that the juvenile is capable of change and reform.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Stanford Edward Purser
Utah Attorney General's Office
For respondent
Benjamin C. McMurray
Federal Public Defender, District of Utah
Case
Subject area
Criminal Procedure (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 3 conferences
Order
Order list, October 19, 2026 · Certiorari denied
Proceedings
- Oct 19 2026Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED.
- Oct 19 2026Petition DENIED.
- Oct 13 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/16/2026.
- Oct 08 2026Rescheduled.
- Oct 05 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/9/2026.
- Sep 28 2026Rescheduled.
- Aug 25 2026Reply of petitioner Utah filed. (Distributed)
- Jul 08 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2026.
- Jun 22 2026Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent Morris T. Mullins.
- Jun 22 2026Brief of respondent Morris T. Mullins in opposition filed.
- Apr 20 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including June 22, 2026.
- Apr 16 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 23, 2026 to June 22, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Mar 05 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 23, 2026)