Mendoza-Torres v. United States

Background

A group of individuals named in the record had appeals against the United States pending in the federal appeals court and asked the Supreme Court to hear their cases. They also moved for permission to proceed without paying court fees. On December 11, 2006, the Supreme Court granted those motions to proceed in forma pauperis and granted review of the cases. The Court then vacated the lower-court judgments and sent the matters back to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Reasoning

The Court did not issue a full merits decision in these cases. Instead, it directed the Fifth Circuit to reconsider the appeals in light of the Court’s recent decision in Lopez v. Gonzales (549 U.S. 47, 127 S.Ct. 625, 166 L.Ed.2d 462 (2006)). The order signals that Lopez v. Gonzales contains guidance relevant to the legal questions before the Fifth Circuit and asks that court to apply that guidance when it reexamines the cases.

Real world impact

The immediate effect is that the earlier judgments are set aside and are not final while the Fifth Circuit reconsiders the cases under the Supreme Court’s instruction. The petitioners’ permission to proceed without paying fees removes a financial barrier to Supreme Court review. The Fifth Circuit may reach different outcomes after applying the Court’s guidance, so the ultimate results for the named individuals remain uncertain pending further review.