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William Housman v. Laurel Harry, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, et al.

IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, No. 24-2628 · judgment June 10, 2025


Certiorari denied · January 12, 2026

Question presented

Does a state court’s divided decision on the merits of a federal constitutional claim demonstrate that reasonable jurists would debate the claim’s merits such that a certificate of appealability should issue, as recognized by three Justices of this Court, the Seventh Circuit, the Fifth Circuit, and district courts in the Third Circuit, or may a federal court decline to issue a certificate of appealability in such circumstances, as done by the Third Circuit below, the Eighth Circuit, and district courts in the First, Third, and Eleventh Circuits?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Katherine Evangeline Ensler
Federal Community Defender Office

For respondent
Jennifer Ann Robinson
Cumberland County Office of the District Attorney

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Linked docket
25A261

Proceedings

  1. Jan 12 2026
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Dec 24 2025
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
  3. Dec 05 2025
    Brief of respondents Laurel Harry, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, et al. in opposition filed.
  4. Oct 16 2025
    Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including December 15, 2025.
  5. Oct 15 2025
    Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 13, 2025 to December 15, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
  6. Oct 08 2025
    Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due November 13, 2025)
  7. Sep 08 2025
    Application (25A261) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until October 8, 2025.
  8. Aug 28 2025
    Application (25A261) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from September 8, 2025 to November 7, 2025, submitted to Justice Alito.