Castle v. United States

Background

A person who asked the Supreme Court to review a ruling by the Sixth Circuit also moved to proceed without paying court fees. The Supreme Court granted that fee request, took the case, vacated the lower court’s judgment, and sent the case back to the Sixth Circuit for further consideration in light of Johnson v. United States (2015).

Reasoning

The main question was whether the Sixth Circuit’s decision should stand now that the Court had decided Johnson. The Supreme Court did not decide the petitioner’s underlying claim on the merits. Instead, the Court granted review, vacated the earlier judgment, and remanded the case so the appeals court can reconsider the matter under the guidance of Johnson. Justice Alito wrote separately to emphasize that the Court’s action does not indicate whether the petitioner will ultimately be entitled to relief.

Real world impact

The remand asks the Sixth Circuit to reevaluate the case in light of Johnson’s treatment of the Armed Career Criminal Act’s residual clause. Other defendants whose cases relied on the same legal provision may see their appeals revisited. This decision is procedural: it sends the question back to the lower court rather than providing a final answer, so any change for the petitioner depends on the outcome of that renewed review.

Dissents or concurrances

Justice Alito concurred in the decision to grant, vacate, and remand and warned that the Court’s disposition should not be read as a view on whether the petitioner deserves relief, especially when procedural hurdles might block recovery.