Supreme Court Report

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Ronald Wolters v. Shelbie Smith, Warden

IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, No. 24-3970 · judgment April 25, 2025


Certiorari denied · February 23, 2026

Question presented

Did the Sixth Circuits denial of a COA decide the important federal question related to sufficiency of the evidence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt in a way that disregards the decisions of this Court holdings in In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, and Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, and 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2)? Whether due process extends to the representation of counsel on habeas corpus review, and if due process requires counsels conduct to meet the Sixth Amendment standard as this court held in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668or at a minimum laws of agency? Can hired counsel for the purposes of representation during habeas corpus review be deemed ineffective counsel? Can this ineffectiveness of counsel on habeas review allow for review of the higher courts? Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit impose an improper and unduly burdensome certificate of Appealability standard that contravenes this courts precedent and deepens a four-circuit split when it denied Ronald Wolters COA to review his 2254 Habeas petition?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Ronald Wolters

For respondent

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Feb 23 2026
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Jan 29 2026
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
  3. May 06 2025
    Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due January 14, 2026)