Nichols v. United States
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-5238 | 10th Cir. | Mar 1, 2016 | Apr 4, 2016 | 8-0 | Alito | OT 2015 |
Holding: The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which makes it a federal crime for certain sex offenders to “knowingly fai[l] to register or update a registration,” and requires sex offenders who move to another state to, “no later than 3 business days after each change of name, residence, employment, or student status,” inform in person at least one jurisdiction “where the offender resides, . . . is an employee, and . . . is a student,” did not require Lester Nichols, a registered sex offender, to update his registration in Kansas once he left the state and moved to the Philippines.
Judgment: Reversed, 8-0, in an opinion by Justice Alito on April 4, 2016.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: News item – the convicted sex offender wins, unanimously (Evan Lee, April 4, 2016)
- Argument analysis: Justices skeptical about government’s interpretation of sex-offender-registration law (Evan Lee, March 2, 2016)
- Argument preview: When a sex offender moves out of the country, does he have to tell anyone? (Evan Lee, February 23, 2016)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| Jul 14 2015 | Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 17, 2015) |
| Aug 12 2015 | Order extending time to file response to petition to and including September 16, 2015. |
| Sep 16 2015 | Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed. |
| Sep 25 2015 | Reply of petitioner Lester Ray Nichols filed. |
| Oct 1 2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of October 16, 2015. |
| Oct 26 2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of October 30, 2015. |
| Nov 2 2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of November 6, 2015. |
| Nov 6 2015 | Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED limited to Question 1 presented by the petition. |
| Dec 15 2015 | The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including December 23, 2015. |
| Dec 15 2015 | The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 26, 2016. |
| Dec 23 2015 | SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Tuesday, March 1, 2016 |
| Dec 23 2015 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| Dec 23 2015 | Brief of petitioner Lester Ray Nichols filed. |
| Jan 4 2016 | Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 10th Circuit. |
| Jan 7 2016 | Record received from the U.S.C.A. 10th Circuit is electronic and located on PACER with the exception of 1 envelope. |
| Jan 15 2016 | CIRCULATED. |
| Jan 26 2016 | Brief of respondent United States filed. (Distributed) |
| Feb 10 2016 | Supplemental brief of respondent United States filed. (Distributed) |
| Feb 19 2016 | Reply of petitioner Lester Ray Nichols filed. (Distributed) |
| Mar 1 2016 | Argued. For petitioner: Daniel T. Hansmeier, Kansas City, Kan. For respondent: Curtis E. Gannon, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. |
| Apr 4 2016 | Judgment REVERSED. Alito, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court. |
| May 6 2016 | JUDGMENT ISSUED |
