Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Joseph Walters, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections v. Christopher Coleman
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 20-7083 · judgment November 21, 2025
Before the decision, about 3.5× the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before, a petition filed soon after the judgment below, and a state or local-government petitioner.
Questions presented
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Whether the Fourth Circuit violated the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) and the party-presentation principle by granting habeas relief based on its de novo review of the state court’s decision.
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Whether the Fourth Circuit violated AEDPA and the party-presentation principle by granting habeas relief on a state-court judgment that was not before it.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Erika Lauren Maley
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
For respondent
Jonathan P. Sheldon
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 5 conferences
Proceedings
- Jul 10 2026Judgment Issued.
- Jun 08 2026Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED.
- Jun 08 2026Petition GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of Clark v. Sweeney, 607 U. S. 7 (2025) (per curiam).
- Jun 01 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/4/2026.
- May 26 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/28/2026.
- May 18 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/21/2026.
- Apr 22 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/14/2026.
- Apr 21 2026Reply of Joseph Walters, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections not accepted for filing. (To be resubmitted April 23, 2026)
- Apr 21 2026Reply of petitioner Joseph Walters, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections filed.(Resubmitted) (Distributed)
- Apr 08 2026Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent Christopher Coleman.
- Apr 08 2026Brief of respondent Christopher Coleman in opposition filed.
- Mar 09 2026Response Requested. (Due April 8, 2026)
- Mar 04 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/20/2026.
- Jan 16 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 20, 2026)