Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Hector Torres-Espinoza v. United States
IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 23-4156 · judgment October 31, 2025
Certiorari denied · April 20, 2026
Question presented
Whether an affirmative verbal invocation of a Fifth Amendment right is admissible evidence of guilt at a criminal trial. prefix
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Kara Lee Hartzler
Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
Case
Subject area
Criminal Procedure (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference
Order
Order list, April 20, 2026 · Certiorari denied
Proceedings
- Apr 20 2026Petition DENIED.
- Apr 02 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/17/2026.
- Mar 27 2026Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Mar 10 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 16, 2026)