Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Timothy Sean Coogle v. United States
IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 26-109 · judgment February 6, 2026
Questions presented
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Whether the statutory gatekeeping function assigned to the courts of appeals under 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b) is satisfied when the court issues a rubber-stamp denial that does not address any of the criteria Congress requires for authorizing a successive habeas petition.
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Whether, after Counterman v. Colorado, the First Amendment requires the Government to prove that a defendant charged under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) had a subjective intent to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, rather than allowing conviction under an objective “reasonable person” standard.
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Whether due process permits a § 2422(b) conviction based on ambiguous online speech that does not clearly establish either the defendant’s subjective intent or a violation of the elements needed to convict.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Timothy Sean Coogle
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, June 22, 2026 · Certiorari denied
Proceedings
- Jun 22 2026Petition DENIED.
- Jun 03 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2026.
- May 26 2026Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Mar 25 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 1, 2026)