Supreme Court Report

Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →

Lonzie Nichols v. Mississippi

IFP petition · Supreme Court of Mississippi, No. 2011-M-01447 · judgment August 28, 2025


Certiorari denied · March 2, 2026

Questions presented

Questtons presented

  1. whether a state’s application ano enforcement of its Procedural Bars via its highest appellate Court in Certain Cases resultin annihilation Ano Diminution of Fundamental Constitutional rights ano Claims ora Claim within a Particular Cause of ACTION As SPECIES OF VALUABLE ANO PERSONAL PRIVATE INCORPOREAL OR INTANGIBLE PROPERTY THAT IS “TAKEN BY” ToDIClAL OECREE“FqR Governmental use ^ithout’Just Compensation anothe processOue in comport with due process ? A. WHETHER THE SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL EXPOSTFACTO LAW C LAUSEtS) OF united states Constitution article 8t$ lo extends To situa­ tions WHERE AS A RESULT OF STATE LEGISLATIVE FIAT A "NEW" CRIMS OR offense IS CREATED USING THE SAME PRE-EXISTING statutory elements to define the "new* offense while simultan­ eously ChawGinGthe Prior sentencing Guidelines But not Give the “new” sentencing Provision retroactive retrospective effect?

  2. whether the foreclosure ano Precluding of retroactive and Retro­ spective APPLICATION OF A "NEW** SENTENCING GUIDELINE0RTHE SAME STATUTORY ELEMENTS DEFINED FOR MURDER UNDER PRE-EXISTING L Aw VIOLATES THE OuE PROCESS CLAUSES ANO EGlUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE of v. s. c. ART. m, 5 1, Ano run afoul of the ex Post facto law clauses (U.S.C.ART.X, 55? H. WHETHER THE ” NEw“ STATUTORY SENTENCING GUIDELINES FoR MuROER CREATE A ENTITLEMENT AnO A PRESUMPTION OF AND A “LIBERTY INTER­ EST” PROTECTED BY THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE OF U.S.C. ART. 1%$! TO THE Class of offenders affected thereby But precluded from accessto ATTAIN A ”\SURY DETERMINATION ’ TO IMPOSE A LIFE SENTENCE RATHerthan a Fudges imposition of a life sentence once Prescribed UNDER PRE-EXISTING LAW RO?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Lonzie Nichols

For respondent
Ashley Lauren Sulser
Office of the Mississippi Attorney General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Mar 02 2026
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Feb 12 2026
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/27/2026.
  3. Feb 09 2026
    Waiver of right of respondent Mississippi to respond filed.
  4. Nov 04 2025
    Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due February 11, 2026)