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 9.5× 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
Subject area
Criminal Procedure (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 5 conferences
Order
Order list, June 8, 2026 · Summary disposition
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)